Things Change
by Shakespeare's Muse
Summary: Ginny's family are her universe - so when one of them dies, how will she cope? But does this death mean more than she really knows? And how exactly do a mysterious tarot reading, a boy named Thom, and Draco Malfoy affect the fate of the world? COMPLETE
1. News of a Different Kind

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff.

A/N This, I hope, will be a longer story than my others, but I want to see what the reviews I get for this are like first, to see if it's worth continuing. Obviously this means pleez R&R! (No flames pleez!). It would mean a lot. I might continue with this anyway, but we'll see.

Also, Ginny *might* turn out to be a bit OOC, but that's all meant to happen.

So, have fun reading!

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_She was standing in a library, and the library was full of books. So many books. And she had to choose one._

_But which one?_

_She picked up one with a coarse brown cover off the shelf before her. The edges were frayed, the pages yellow and tattered. She turned it over in her hands, examining the jacket. The picture on the front was of a girl, her features faded so that she couldn't quite tell what the young woman looked like. It appeared as though her hair was long, but the colour was difficult to place. Somewhere between blood and dirt._

_She placed the book back on one of the never-ending shelves, and went on to another. But even though the shelves were endless, and there were many a glossier book, the tattered brown volume stayed stuck in her mind._

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Ginny Weasley sighed sleepily as she looked down at the soggy cornflakes in her bowl. It was Monday morning, and her first lesson was double potions. For a 5th year Gryffindor like herself, Monday's were always particularly bad, but today was even worse, as she had woken up during the night because of some strange dream she couldn't even remember, and had ended up staying awake pretty much all night. So, she was incredibly tired.

At the opposite end of the scale, Ana was about as awake as Ginny was asleep. Her friend was sitting, or rather bouncing about next to her, animatedly moving her dark hands around as she spoke about her brother's new pet, a tarantula. The rest of Ginny's little group were in much the same condition. Lara was talking to Sophie about some new racing broom, and Lizzie was listening to Ana, watching intently as she demonstrated the size of the spider with her hands.

Ginny groaned inwardly. She knew what her 'friends' were like, and if they stayed this way all day, then Ginny would probably end up violently murdering all of them. So she continued to stare at her cornflakes, spiralling deeper into the I'm-so-tired-I'm-going-to-kill-someone feeling she had had since 2:00 am that morning.

"Gin?"

She was dragged away from her thoughts by Sophie nudging her slightly.

"What?" she asked, sounding, and probably looking like the walking dead.

"You haven't eaten much this morning. Is something wrong?"

Ginny just yawned, shaking her head.

"No, I just didn't get much sleep, that's all. But I suppose I'll be fine when I've woken up properly and I'm in class"

"Okay" Sophie replied. "Speaking of class, we'd better get going; Snape'll kill us if we're late"

A collective groan was heard from all five girls, but they grabbed their bags and, taking a last mouthful of breakfast, they headed down to the dungeons. Ginny was slightly removed from the conversation down to the classroom. She had been thinking about her dream since breakfast, the dream worrying her a lot. Why, she didn't know, because she couldn't remember it. All she knew was that it had been shadowy and weird, and had left her with a deep sense of...foreboding, almost. This had stayed with her all through breakfast, bringing her mood even further down than it already was. What the feeling meant was also a mystery, but Ginny tried to ignore it, pushing the feeling to the back of her mind as she waited outside in the corridor with the rest of the class.

Even worse for Ginny and the other Gryffindors was the fact that they had potions with the Slytherins. This meant hours of Snape favouring his own students whilst he made Ginny and everyone else suffer horribly. It didn't help that Potions was one of Ginny's worst subjects.

"Got a penny, Weasel? Oh no, I *forgot* you were poor!" sneered a sardonic Slytherin boy called Peter.

Ginny sighed and shook her head slightly, leaning against the wall.

'Don't worry about him, he isn't worth it' she thought to herself, just as Peter started pulling out his trouser pockets and pretending to cry.

She looked at the Slytherins darkly, but tried to ignore them all the same. Mortly continued his stupid impression, making sure he was always in Ginny's eye line. Ginny tried to pay no attention to him, but he was pretty hard to ignore sometimes. Stupid git.

Presently, Snape arrived and the students filed into the dungeons. Ginny seated herself at the back with her 'friends', her mood gloomier than ever now. Luckily, Mortly always sat at the front where he could get extra praise from Snape, so she was slightly better off than she was out in the corridor. Still, she would have preferred it if Mortly didn't actually exist at all.

Getting out her quill, parchment and cauldron, Ginny set them on the table beside Lara's things. The worn hand-me-down pewter cauldron with its ancient potion stains looked especially shabby next to Lara's brand new one. Ginny sighed. Mortly had made her think about how much she hated being poor, and this wasn't helping. Oh well.

Apart from Mortly's *occasional* jeer across the class ("We wouldn't get way with that!" muttered Lizzie), the lesson passed uneventfully, until there was a knock at the door and Professor McGonagall swept in.

"Professor," said Snape, looking up from Mortly's potion to McGonagall. "What is it?"

"I wish to speak to Miss Weasley," McGonagall replied.

Ginny looked up as she heard her name. McGonagall's face was set in its usual expression under her green velvet hat, but she looked slightly worried.

Snape's face twisted in annoyance. "Professor, Miss Weasley is currently making a major potion as part of her coursework. I assure you –"

"Serverus, as much as I hate to disturb students during lessons, this is of great importance. I need to speak to Miss Weasley now"

The whole class had gone silent. The teachers never called each other by their first names around pupils, and McGonagall certainly never interrupted Snape. What could be so important that these two unspoken rules were broken?

Snape looked angrily at McGonagall and then Ginny, before nodding ever so slightly, his face reddening with vehemence.

"Bring your school things Miss Weasley," said McGonagall. "I'm afraid you won't be back for the end of this lesson. Oh, and could Miss Moreesen pack away your cauldron at the end of the class? Thank you"

Confused, Ginny shoved everything into her bag (apart from her cauldron, which was bubbling away next to her) and stood up, making her way past Lara and Sophie to the door where McGonagall waited.

"Come with me Miss Weasley"

Ginny meekly followed McGonagall out of the class, wondering what could be so important that she had been dragged out of potions. Not that she minded, of course, but if she was in trouble why didn't McGonagall just talk to her after class? After all, she herself had said she didn't like to disturb students in their lessons. So, she obviously wasn't in trouble, which meant that maybe she was getting rewarded for good behaviour or school marks or whatever. But then again, that would be something McGonagall would talk about *after* class. So...

She was broken out of her thoughts by McGonagall stopping abruptly in front of a rather large and ugly statue of a gargoyle that looked vaguely familiar. Ginny hadn't been concentrating on where she was going, and wondered what McGonagall was doing standing next to a statue. Weren't they going to her office or something?

"The Headmaster will take it from here Miss Weasley"

Headmaster? Ginny thought, even more confused. She was going to see the headmaster? If so, what was the point of standing around in front of a statue?

Her question was answered when McGonagall said 'Sherbet Lemon' (A/N or lemon drop if you're American) and the gargoyle slid sideways to reveal a moving staircase, much like the 'escapaders' she had seen in muggle shops. Ah, she remembered this. It was the way to Dumbledore's office.

"Off you go now. Don't keep the Headmaster waiting"

Ginny stepped cautiously onto the staircase as it continued upwards, and soon McGonagall was out of site, and she was facing a large oak door. She reached out a hand to knock, but it swung open before she could reach the handle. It revealed an office on two floors, with telescopes, books, odd magical bits and pieces, everything you could think of. Ginny hadn't seen it in four years, but she remembered it well.

"Ginny!"

Startled, Ginny looked to wear the voice was coming from and immediately recognised the red hair and long nose she had seen only that morning.

"Ron! What are you doing here?"

Ron shrugged.

"I dunno. What are you doing here?

Ginny shrugged back.

"I have no idea. I was just sitting there in potions –"

"You get to miss potions? I'm missing Care of Magical of Creatures!"

"– and McGonagall came in and asked for me. You should have seen Snape's face, it was –"

"Miss Weasley, as much as I would like to know what Professor Snape's face looked like, I think that perhaps, for the moment, you and your brother had better sit down" 

Dumbledore had appeared at the top of his office next to his round, gold telescope. Ginny gulped, her face reddening in embarrassment.

"Sorry Professor"

"Oh, no need to apologise Miss Weasley, but I think that perhaps I had better keep that particular comment a secret for now, hmm?"

"Yes, Professor" Ginny replied, smiling slightly.

"Now," said Dumbledore, seating himself down behind his desk and gesturing for Ron and Ginny to do the same. "You are probably both wondering why you are here". At these words, his face became graver, and Ginny couldn't help wondering if she had seen a glimpse of sadness in his eyes, but she nodded along with Ron.

"Well, I think that the reason should be here any minute, so I shall leave you..." Dumbledore said, getting up and walking over to the door.

"Who? –" Ginny cried, but he had closed the door, leaving Ron and her alone. 

"What? –"Ron started, but at that moment there was a shuffling noise and a flurry of green flame, and Mr and Mrs Weasley appeared in the grate of Dumbledore's office. Mrs Weasley's face was red and tear-stained, and Mr Weasley looked as if he had been crying too. 

"Mum, Dad! What's happened?! What's going on?!" Ron cried as he and Ginny rushed to their mother's side as she sank into a chair.

These words caused Mrs Weasley to break into fresh tears. 

"Mum? What's wrong? What is it? Please tell us Mum" Ginny said frantically, kneeling in front of her mother and grasping her hands tightly. They were shaking almost uncontrollably. This was really starting to scare her.

"There – there's been an attack – You-Know-Who – Death Eaters – No survivors..." Mr Weasley answered, his voice trailing off.

"Oh God" Ron croaked, his voice sounding oddly hoarse.

"Who?" Ginny asked, beginning to panic.

"Your – Your brother – Charlie..."

Ginny felt as if somebody had just chucked a bucket of ice down her shirt. She felt cold all over, and rigid, like she couldn't move. This couldn't be happening, she thought desperately. Things like this only happen to other people, not me. It can't happen to me. Charlie's not dead, he can't be, he's *Charlie*...

And then she was crying, hot tears falling down her cheeks. She could hear Ron crying too, as well as both her parents. But there were no arms around her, holding her close, nobody crying with her. She looked up from where she had slumped on the floor to see Ron sitting on the arm of his mother's chair, with him and their parents in a close embrace.

"Mum? Mum?" she asked, but nobody heard her. She leant against her mother's legs, crying harder and harder. She wasn't a part of their little huddle, she realised, right when they all needed each other most.

But not me, she thought. They don't need me.

And she collapsed into more tears.

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A/N Yey! Chapter one over and done with. You know what this means. R&R!


	2. Home Again

Things Change 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff.

A/N Eeugh – I'm ILL! And I have exams tomorrow! Dun dun dun!

Anyway, this chapter might be quite short, I don't know. Also, this _will_ turn out to be a D/G in later chapters, in case anyone was wondering. He just hasn't appeared yet. You're also gonna find out more about Ginny's friends and her relationship with them in this chapter.

Well, I don't have much to say at the moment, so here we go. The first chapter two I've ever written!

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Ginny and Ron had gone home to the burrow after the memorable few hours in Dumbledore's office. They had flooed home with their parents and both gone straight to bed (neither bothering to get undressed) after greeting Fred and George, who had arrived from Hogsmeade a couple of hours before, on the way upstairs. Percy and Bill would be arriving later that day, sometime around late afternoon.

Ginny lay in the dark, staring at her ceiling. She was in shock, she could tell. Even though she had been telling her self for what felt like forever, her brain just couldn't seem to accept the fact that Charlie was gone. She kept saying it to herself over and over again in the dark, but it didn't help. She had always had six brothers and she had always assumed it would stay that way. There had always been six boys at the dinner table, six boys divided between the numerous (although cramped) bedrooms, six boys playing Quidditch out on the Weasley's plot. Sure, she knew the war would claim casualties, but she hadn't ever considered that one of them might be her brother. By all means, it was possible, but things like that didn't happen to her. Didn't they only ever happen to other people?

And then there was Ron and her parents. What had happened there? Wasn't she a part of their family too? As the youngest of seven – or six, as she now reminded herself – she had always expected nothing more than hand-me-downs and only a part of he parents' attention, but to be shut out almost completely from something as important as grieving? That was new. Of course, she knew neither her parents nor Ron had meant to do it, but that didn't stop it hurting. Ginny fell into a light and uneasy sleep thinking about what a horrible turn her life had just taken.

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_She was walking down a deserted corridor. The walls were full of pictures of dragons, the beasts breathing fire and roaring noisily from the photographs. She looked at them, marvelling at the beauty such terrible creatures could possess. Then she heard a noise outside. It sounded like a real dragon. Curious, she made her way down the passage until she reached a door. Opening it, she saw a large stretch of land with what looked like paddocks all over it. They were all full of dragons and their keepers. In the one nearest to her were a Hungarian Horntail and his keeper. She recognised him. It was..._

_"Charlie!" she cried happily, running towards him._

_He didn't turn around, just carried on watching the dragon._

_"Charlie?" she said again, this time quieter and more timidly._

_Still he didn't turn round. She was right next to him now. She reached out to touch him..._

_The scene swirled before and this time everything was different. She was in the same place, but now it was empty. The paddocks had been almost completely destroyed and the fences had fallen over in the gale force wind that was whipping her hair around her face ferociously. There was fire everywhere, and lightning split the sky. Black storm clouds were darkening the sky and a fog was gathering slowly. Then she heard a voice calling her name..._

_"Ginny..." it said mockingly._

_"Where are you?" she cried. The fog was thicker now, and closing in on her, suffocating her._

_"I'm here Ginny...I'm here...I'm just out of reach...Just a little too far away...Goodbye Ginny…" replied the voice._

_"No! No, don't leave me!" Her cry was desperate, her voice panicky._

_"Goodbye..."_

_The fog was thick now, closing around her, blocking up her throat and lungs, blocking her air supply. She couldn't breath, she was going to suffocate, she was going to die..._

Ginny woke up sweating, the sheets damp and tangled around her legs. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was, and why she was there, but then it all came flooding back. She could feel fresh tear tracks on her cheeks from where she had been crying in her sleep. Letting out a few calming breaths, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and wiped the sleep from her eyes. 

Just then she heard the noise of the front door closing and people's voices downstairs. Sitting up sharply in bed, she looked at the old clock on her beside table. She'd been asleep for nearly four hours! Pushing off her duvet, she flung open her bedroom door and ran down two flights of stairs into the kitchen to find Bill sitting with their mother at the table. Fred and George were their too, as well as Ron and her father. Her whole family. Or what was left of it anyway.

Bill looked up as she came in. His eyes were full of sadness as he looked up at her, and he just stood and put his arms around her, holding her close, an acknowledgement of the wordless communication of pain between them both. She had a strong bond with Bill, he being the oldest and she the youngest, and she was thankful he still accepted her. She cried into his shirt, her salty tears leaving little wet patches on the cotton. He led her over to the table where she sat down, until she gradually stopped crying. Wiping her eyes on a kitchen towel, she took a deep breath and looked around the table at her family (or what was left for the moment). All of them had been crying too, their faces red and tear stained, just like hers must be. Tentatively, she reached out a hand across the table to her mother, and grasped it tight. To her relief, her mother squeezed it back. So she wasn't a complete outsider. They sat round the table in silence, just thankful to have each other, at least.

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It was later when she was sat outside in the garden that she had her first proper talk with Bill since he had arrived. It was early evening, the sun just beginning to set over the hill, and she was sitting on the garden wall, staring into space and swinging her sneaker clad feet.

"Gin?"

She jumped and turned round. Seeing Bill, she smiled weakly for a moment before her face fell again. She patted the wall beside her in a silent invitation, watching the sun set in the distance. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, the two siblings at ease in each others company. Then Ginny spoke.

"It's like it's not real, isn't it?"

Bill paused for a second before replying, as if thinking about what she had just said.

"I know. I feel like I'm having a really bad dream"

Ginny nodded.

"I know what you mean. I never thought about it before now – the war, I mean. I never even considered the possibility that something like this could happen to me...could happen to all of us"

"Neither did I. You never think that it'll be your loved one that gets caught in the crossfire, and then when it is..." Bill trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging. They both knew what he meant, but it was too painful to voice.

They didn't speak again until the garden had started to get dark, each one lost in their own thoughts until they went inside, when Bill tugged on Ginny's sweater and motioned for her to go in. She obeyed, too tired and emotionally drained to argue .The door to the lounge was open slightly, and as she walked past she could see Ron sitting on the sofa dejectedly, staring at the fire. Just yesterday she would have had no qualms about going in there to talk to him, but today...she didn't know about today. So she carried on past the lounge and up the stairs to her own room, closing the door behind her.

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Ginny and Ron returned to Hogwarts a week later. Their parents had been organising Charlie's funeral for the past few days, and the house had been so silent you wouldn't even think the Weasley's lived there anymore. The funeral was to take place the next Saturday, but it was thought best by all that Ginny and Ron returned to Hogwarts for the week before, so as to make everything seem 'more normal', as Percy had put it. Bill dropped them off in the Gryffindor tower fireplace during breakfast.

"You guys are sure you're going to be okay?" Bill asked as he hugged both of them goodbye.

"Yeah," Ron replied. "Dad said that Dumbledore's let the Gryffindors know, so we don't have to tell them why we weren't at school or anything"

"Okay. I'll see you next week...". Bill trailed off. It was weird knowing that the next time they'd see him, it would be at the funeral. Ginny hugged him extra tight, making a mental picture of everything. She couldn't risk forgetting her brother, couldn't risk not remembering what he looked like, in case...

But no, Bill was safe and sound for the moment, at home. He wouldn't be in too much danger there. She could start worrying about him when he went back to Egypt. She mustn't start thinking things like that. She just had to get through school first.

"Bye Bill. We'll owl you all to let you know how things are going" she said, waving a bit as Bill got into the now green and blazing fire. He shouted 'The Burrow' and then he was gone.

Ginny sighed and turned to speak to Ron, but he had already started up the stairs to the boys' dorm, leaving her alone in the deserted common room. She ran a hand through her hair miserably, staring after him. Flopping down on a chair, she curled her legs underneath her, thinking. She wasn't hungry, and besides, she didn't feel like going down to the Great Hall just yet, so she decided to skip breakfast. She didn't want to go up to her dorm either. She knew all her stuff would be waiting for her, in exactly the same place as it had been when she had left it to go to double potions, and that just felt...wrong, somehow. Like none of the past week had even happened, and as much as she wanted to try and make everything seem even a *tiny* bit normal, she couldn't just turn her back on it all, and that was a way of doing that in her opinion. And besides, she wasn't ready for complete normality yet. But then again, would she ever be?

Deciding to just stay in the common room until the bell went for first lesson (A/N I don't know if they have bells at Hogwarts, but how would they know when to get to lessons otherwise? I've written one in now anyway, so), Ginny all stared into the fire where Bill had been standing a few minutes before and sighed again. 'That's all I seem to do these days', she thought wryly. 'Sighing'.

She stared into the flames for a long time, fiddling with the hemline of her skirt. The common room was silent, the morning sun falling across the floor. It was peaceful, and she was thankful for that, but she knew that soon she would have to get going so she could go to her first lesson. The teachers had all been notified of the Weasley's loss, and Professor Dumbledore had given both her and Ron permission to leave class or miss their lessons completely if they felt like it (A/N try telling that to Professor Snape! Heehee!), but she was determined to get all her lessons done. It was sort of like a focus for her, a way to keep her going through the week. And she needed a focus. She needed one bad.

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Charms was already crowded when she came in. The Ravenclaws were sitting on one side of Professor Flitwick and the Gryffindors on the other, all chatting noisily, but when Ginny entered, the whole of the Gryffindor side went silent, everyone suddenly finding their shoes or the ceiling rather interesting. The Ravenclaw noise died down too, most of them looking puzzled. That meant that the Gryffindors were still pretty much the only ones who knew anything, but that would probably change soon, judging by the sympathetic looks she was getting from a couple of Ravenclaws.

Spotting her friends sitting at the back, she quickly made her way over to them, her head down. They all smiled sympathetically at her and then went back to braiding each other's hair. Ginny stood there for a moment as if waiting for something, and then sat down, quietly getting her wand, book and some parchment out of her bag.

"Hey Gin, how are you? We all heard about your loss and we feel real sorry for you and all" said Lara suddenly, startling her. Ginny just smiled waveringly at her. Lara smiled in return and then went back to working on Ana's hair. Ginny felt slightly snubbed, but she ignored the feeling, telling herself that they were just trying to make everything seem normal for her. It was always like that anyway, those four pairing off together and her left just slightly outside. It had always been that way, ever since they had been roommates on their first day at Hogwarts. During the whole Chamber of Secrets episode they had steered clear, but gradually they had made friends again, although she was still a partial loner. That had got a bit better over the last few months, but now everything was slipping backwards again. But she didn't mind, not really. Well, that was what she told herself. Now it was genuinely starting to bother her. Dismissing it to the back of her mind, she just got on with the lesson, trying to concentrate on what Professor Flitwick was telling them about intermediate invisibility charms (only usable on inanimate objects of course). Halfway through they had to pair up, and, as usual, it was Ginny who had to go off with someone else. This time it was Colin Creevey, who she decided was definitely better than her last partner. Roderick Mohnagan was _the_ most annoying Hufflepuff in the whole school as far as Ginny was concerned. 'Can I do this for you Ginny, can I do that?' _God_, that boy was irritating. Ginny felt slightly bad, because she hadn't talked to Colin for ages, too absorbed in trying to be 'one of the girls'.

Sliding into the seat next to her, Colin smiled slightly and, to her surprise, covered her hand with his own. She looked up at him, surprised. He smiled again, this time thoroughly shy.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm here for you Ginny, if you want to talk or something..." he said quietly, reddening a little.

Ginny smiled back, albeit a little waveringly, but it was a smile.

"Thanks Colin, I really appreciate it. I mean it too," she added, blushing slightly as she thought of how she hadn't been paying much attention to him recently. "And I'm sorry I haven't talked to you for, like, ages..."

"Don't worry about it," he replied.

They got through the work quite quickly, Ginny concentrating thoroughly on her work to stop her mind wandering. Colin's camera almost got lost when Ginny knocked the already invisible object off the table with her arm.

Soon enough the lesson was over, and Ginny hurried to catch up with the others as they walked out of the classroom, still trying to stuff her wand into her bag.

"C'mon Gin!" Sophie cried over her shoulder, stopping impatiently, tapping her foot on the stone floor. Ginny caught up with them, a little out of breath, and they carried on towards Care of Magical Creatures.

When they reached Hagrid's hut they found him stooped over a crate of fluffy, round, custard coloured balls of fur.

"Puffskeins!" He announced jovially to the class. The muggle kids crowded round for a closer look, but Ginny had owned a Puffskein once and so she slumped against the fence, watching as Ana and Lara cooed over the ball of fur in Ana's hand.

Seeing Ginny propped up against the fence, Hagrid walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"'Ello Ginny, 'ow are yer?," he said, giving her a slight squeeze. Ginny just looked down at the floor.

"Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that, silly of me, forgettin' an' all..." he said apologetically. "Puffskeins not new t' yer then?" he said, changing the subject.

"Nope," Ginny replied. "Ron had one once, but Fred got a bit too boisterous when he was using it for Bludger practice. Mum hasn't let him near one since"

Hagrid chuckled and patted her on the back, almost throwing her to the ground in doing so. "Well, I'll let yer off fer this lesson, but I'd like t' see yer participatin' next time round, alrigh'?" he said, chortling.

"Okay"

"And I'm 'ere if yer need t' talk, yer hear me?" he added, turning serious.

Ginny nodded in thanks and smiled a bit. "Sure Hagrid, I'll come down here if I need to talk. Thank you"

"No' at all" he replied, and then he went back to the class, handing out more Puffskeins to the excited students crowded round the crate.

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Ginny sat up in bed that night, the hangings around her bed shut, listening to the other girls as they talked about some new hottie in 'Witch Weekly', Orli Blum or something like that. They were giggling excitedly on Lizzie's bed over on the other side of the circular dorm.

Ginny had a book in her hand, but she wasn't reading it. She was thinking about how lonely she suddenly felt. Charlie had gone, her whole family had almost completely ignored her (apart from Bill), and now she knew that her 'friends' were starting to leave her out again. But then, had they ever really been her friends? She had always thought so, but maybe, maybe she was wrong. They had never included her as much as they did each other, but Ginny had just assumed that was normal. Everyone got that once in a while, didn't they? 'Yeah, _once_ in a while' said a voice in her head. 'Not permanently!'

Shaking her head to clear it, Ginny sighed and closed the book, putting it on her bedside table. Then she nestled down under her duvet and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

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A/N Phew! Chapter two done, finally! It took me long enough! Sorry to anyone (if there even _was_ anyone!) who wanted this updated, but I've done it! It's amazing!

I'm going to start work on chapter three pretty much straight away, so that might not take _quite_ as long.

I'm in a confused mood at the moment too, cause my mate Jack told me that one of my other guy friends likes me in _that way, so be prepared for Ginny's life to get *very* confusing, so as I try to emulate my life in my writing, poor Ginny is gonna have a rough time with the ol' love life!)_

Anyways, gotta go!

p.s. EXAMS ARE OVER!


	3. The Future?

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Ohmigod, chapter three is here!

I'm on the phone to my mate Ali at the mo; he's talking about the naivety of the main character in his novel. It's *really* interesting. No, it is actually. And funny. =) He himself is mister naïve so I don't know what he's going on about.

He's telling me to shut up because I'm singing a song better than him. Heehee.

He has just mentioned radical pie. Ooooooo. 

Anyways, this chapter, well, I don't know how the *hell* it's gonna turn out. All very confusing. Basically, I haven't planned any of it, so it will be all mumbly jumbly. 

If you don't like that, tough. Also, to the person who said I should read the HP books more, I've read them about twenty times (seriously) and I *know* she hasn't got a picture perfect life, and believe me, she *won't* get one either. Not in this story.

AVRIL LAVIGNE RULES! I'm listening to her album at the moment. Her music always helps me write.

So, here we go with chapter trios.

p.s. Orli Blum is like Orlando Bloom ::drool::

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Ginny stared at her reflection in the fractured floor-length mirror. In place of her school robes were a black skirt and a blouse, with a faded black jacket of her mother's. On her head sat what was, in her opinion, an absolutely ridiculous black hat. She wore a pair of slightly laddered tights, and shoes that didn't quite fit, and she hated it all. It was the outfit her mother wanted her to wear for the funeral. She had picked it out for her, which in Ginny's opinion wasn't fair because all her brothers were wearing what the hell they liked. Bearing in mind they all wanted to wear black suits of course.

Still, Ginny didn't like it, and this was one occasion she wanted to choose something for herself. She felt bad making a fuss, but she had to do it, just this once. What she wore today meant a lot to her, because it would be what she was wearing when she said goodbye to Charlie for the last time, and she wanted it to be special. 

Biting her lip, she turned round to her mother, who was standing behind her, and shook her head slightly. Mrs Weasley's face fell, and then looked confused.

"Don't you like it Ginny dear?" she asked.

"It's not that I don't like it...," she lied, picking at the jacket with her fingers. "I just...well, I wanted to wear something that I like and that...that Charlie liked"

"Are you sure?" Mrs Weasley asked. She looked a bit angry now, but as much as Ginny hated upsetting her family, she carried on anyway.

"Yes, I'm...uh, sure. I really would appreciate it if I could wear something of...um, mine, perhaps?" she said, ending up turning her statement into a request.

"Really Ginny, I...you don't really have anything suitable. Your brothers are all wearing suits"

Ginny sighed and clenched her fists beneath the too-long sleeves of the jacket. She was starting to get irritated.

"But mum, they all *want* to wear suits. If you're respecting their wishes, couldn't you respect mine?"

"Dear, I really think that –"

"I don't care what you think!" Ginny suddenly burst out, the frustration becoming too much, but she flung her hand over her mouth as soon as she had spoken. Her mother looked visibly shocked, but this almost immediately turned to rage.

"Virginia Weasley!" she shouted, her face beginning to flush with anger. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner! Be grateful that your father and I have let you wear something that looks nice! We could have made you wear something ridiculous! You should be thankful!"

Suddenly, Ginny decided she didn't care if she'd just been rude to her mother. If her mother could be that closed minded and sexist, then Ginny, to be quite frank, didn't give a damn.

"Something nice?!," She cried, outraged. "How could anybody call *this* NICE?! I hate it, I absolutely hate it!"

Before Ginny knew what was happening, Mrs Weasley had stormed across the room towards her and raised her hand –

"Mum!" Ginny cried before Mrs Weasley could bring her hand down across Ginny's face. Mrs Weasley stopped dead in mid-air, her expression quickly turning to shock as she realised what she had been about to do.

"Ginny...oh, Ginny, I'm so sorry, sweetheart, I'm so sorry" she said, almost whispering she was so upset. Her eyes filled with tears, and then before Ginny could say anything, she fled out of the door and down the stairs. Ginny just stood there against the mirror.

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Ginny sadly picked up the skirt from her bed and put it on over the tights, being careful not to ladder them any more than they already were. She then proceeded to pick up the blouse, but before she could put that on too, she had a sudden thought. Turning to her wardrobe, she opened the doors and rummaged through the small pile of second hand garments before she pulled out a pink spaghetti strap top. It had a small silver 'V' on it, for Virginia. Charlie had brought it back for her from his holiday in Italy when she was thirteen. She quietly slipped it on over her head before putting the black blouse on top.

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"Charlie Weasley was a good person, kind and warm-hearted, close to his family, a polite, well-mannered young man..."

Ginny stopped listening as the vicar droned on and on, tuning out meaningless words. She didn't much care for what the man thought of Charlie. All she wanted to do was remember him, which was what the funeral was supposed to be for in the first place, not listen to some vicar going on about him. Her brothers, on the other hand, were all listening intently, as if the sermon actually meant something. Bill sat on one side of her and Ron on the other, both with tears in their eyes. Ginny's eyes were moist too, but not because of what the vicar was saying. She was thinking about Charlie...

_Hey Ginny!"__ Charlie cried. "Catch!"_

_Ginny giggled as he threw the Quaffle towards her, reaching out with her little eight year old hands as she tried to catch it. It went high over her head and landed in a bush behind her. Giggling again, she smiled apologetically and stuck her arms in the bush, trying to get the Quaffle out from under it._

_"Well done Gin!" cried Fred from the over the garden wall. He jumped over it to join them, George and Ron following closely behind._

_"You can't catch Gin," Ron told her matter-of-factly. "You're not very good"_

_Ginny pouted and crossed her arms._

_"Well, neither are you!" she replied crossly. "At least *I* can catch *sometimes*"_

_Ron glowered at her, but forgot about his anger when Ginny proceeded to drag the Quaffle out from under the bush. She threw it to him, and he dropped it. She grinned, pleased to demonstrate her point so well. Charlie just laughed as he picked up the Quaffle and threw it to Bill, who stood next to him. Bill threw it to Ginny again in one last attempt for her to catch it. She reached up high, stretching out her little arms, jumping upwards. She was almost there; she could almost touch it..._

_She caught it and rolled over in the long grass, her face flushed with pride as she sat up, grinning from ear to ear._

_"I caught it, I caught it!" she cried, holding it up triumphantly. Her brothers all whooped with joy, jumping into the air with glee. Charlie ran over to her and hugged her happily, picking her up in the air and singing her around._

_"That was brilliant Gin! Well done! We'll make a proper little Quidditch star out of you yet!" he yelled joyfully, setting her down on the grass and giving her an affectionate squeeze._

And then the tears came. Hot salty droplets running down her cheeks, leaving little rivulets of water on them. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. The memory had always been a happy one before, but now it brought pain with it too. She fiddled with her handkerchief, pulling it taught as she tried to suppress what had become a fast flow of tears.

Bill heard her quiet sobs and put his arm around her. She rested her head against his shoulder, turning her body towards him in a search for comfort. He just hugged her tightly, rubbing her back with his hand and offering her his own handkerchief (hers was drenched in tears). She remained that way for the rest of the funeral, her sobs almost inaudible, but her body shaking so badly that it was obvious she was crying.

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The first time Ginny saw Harry and Hermione was on the Monday after the funeral, when her and Ron went back to school, and she was sitting in the common room after lunch. She had avoided Ron all of that week before the funeral, not really wanting to talk to him, and so had not had a chance to talk to Harry or Hermione. Not that she really talked to Harry anyway, just sort of spluttered and went red. Damn that ridiculous schoolgirl crush. She *still* hadn't got over Harry, even though the fact that it would be a good idea had finally managed to seep into her brain (albeit a little dimly). What she really needed was somebody else to keep her mind off of him...

"Ginny?"

Ginny was broken put of her reverie by a voice which sounded *very* familiar. Looking up, her worst fears were confirmed when she found herself looking into the face of Harry Potter.

"Uh, uh..." she garbled unintelligently, opening and closing her mouth in a rather good imitation of a goldfish.

Harry looked at her as if she was some strange new species he had found smeared on the bottom of his shoe.

"Hi Ginny. I just wanted to say that I'm awfully sorry for you and Ron," he continued, sitting in the armchair across from her. "Hermione agrees with me and sends her compliments"

'Sends her compliments?' Ginny thought to herself, confused. 'Could you get anymore formal?'

"Uh, well, um...thanks, yes, thank you...um..." she managed to say instead, looking down at the floor and turning even more red.

Harry raised his eyebrows, but smiled slightly, before getting up and going to join Hermione and Ron, who were sitting at the window seat, their fingers intertwined between them. Ginny sighed as her eyes followed Harry over to them. If only she could find someone who would love her just as much as Ron loved Hermione.

'If only Harry would...' she thought longingly. She looked over at him again from behind some of her hair, only to find, to her complete and utter distress, Parvati Patil sitting next to him, flirting! And what made it worse was the fact that Harry was flirting back!

Ginny gasped, but immediately berated herself for doing so. 'Don't be ridiculous Ginny, he's Harry Potter! Girls would die just to *flirt* with him, and if it was someone like Parvati, of course he'd flirt back! She's beautiful! What do you expect?'

Hearing the bell ring for lessons, she grabbed her bag and quickly dashed out of the portrait hole, eager to get away from having to see Harry and Parvati pouring over each other. She didn't bother waiting for the other girls, even though she knew they'd be pretty angry when they got to Divination.

She reached the north tower out of breath, like usual, and found she was the first one there. Usually the students walked as slowly as they could to Divination.

Ginny leant against the wall, assuming that the ladder wouldn't come down until the whole class had assembled beneath the trap door, but she was wrong. It came spiralling down from the ceiling almost as soon as her back touched the wall, the trap door opening along with it.

"Come in, Miss Weasley, come in..." came Professor Trelawney's voice, wafting down he stairs from the classroom.

Looking up at the ladder, Ginny frowned, but ascended it anyway. How come Professor Trelawney knew it was her down here? Maybe she had a secret spyglass in the ceiling were she could see everyone down below...

Shrugging, Ginny emerged through the trap door into the sweltering classroom, and saw that, instead of the numerology charts she had expected, there were packets on each table that looked as if they held overly large playing cards.

"Ah, Miss Weasley..."

Professor Trelawney had appeared next to the enormous fireplace, looking even more like an oversized dragonfly than usual.

"I had seen with my inner eye that this morning I would suddenly, without warning, switch to a new form of divining the unyielding fog of the future," she said, her eyes gazing towards the packets on the tables with a faraway look in them. She turned back to Ginny, who was standing by the trap door awkwardly. She had never been alone with Professor Trelawney before, and she was feeling slightly uncomfortable as the only person under her gaze. The professor looked at her expectantly.

"Well, my dear, sit down, sit down..." she said, waving her thin arms towards the pouf Ginny usually occupied. Ginny sat down uneasily, but the packet on her table soon distracted her. It was a vivid purple colour, inlaid with silver Celtic designs that were so complicated and beautiful she felt as if she could get lost in them.

Professor Trelawney noticed her interest in the packet and swooped down next to her.

"You want to know what this is, I presume?" she said, picking the packet up and turning it over in her spindly fingers. "It is one of the more beautiful forms of Divination, my dear. It is..." she paused dramatically. "The Tarot"

Ginny looked at her blankly.

"The Tarot, my dear, the Tarot. You must know of it?" Trelawney said impatiently, putting the packet back down on the table and frowning.

Ginny looked even more blank for a moment, but then...come to think of it, she had heard of the Tarot. Her mother didn't really put much faith in divination, being a practical sort of woman, but she had once mentioned something about Tarot. She had, now Ginny thought about it, seemed rather iffy about the whole thing. 'A load of old nonsense', she had called it.

"Well, um, maybe a *little*" Ginny replied nervously. Professor Trelawney's face looked almost relieved at these words and she quickly reverted back to her old persona.

"Seeing as we have yet to be joined by the other members of your class, who, I have foreseen, will be quite some time" ('could they go any slower?' Ginny thought desperately) "I shall be kind enough to give you a personal lesson"

'Oh bloody hell' Ginny thought, riled. 'Not this. Anything but this'

But her prayers weren't answered.

"Now my dear, if you would be so kind as to open the packet and draw the deck out, we can begin"

Ginny did as she was told. The cards were even more beautiful than the packet, with spiralling designs flowing over the back. She turned them over so they were facing up and saw, not numbers as she had expected, but a picture. It was of a man in a colourful jester's suit dancing around on some clouds. There was an ornate '0' underneath the picture.

"Ah, now that, my dear, is The Fool, the first card in the Major Arcana. He is unnumbered and can replace any card in the deck. But beware, for he is the spirit of chaos, of the unexpected!" Trelawney cried dramatically, waving her hands around in the air. "He has a positive side, of course" she added, but she quickly skimmed over it and went on to the negative. "But if you draw this card there will be folly, madness! Look before you leap, my dear!"

Ginny groaned inwardly. Professor Trelawney was such a pessimist, and Ginny suspected she rather enjoyed it.

Professor Trelawney took her through some more of the cards and their (negative) meanings, before suddenly clapping her hands, making Ginny jump.

"The rest of the class!" she said in fluttery voice, floating over to the trap door and opening it with a wand. Ginny didn't even know Professor Trelawney *had* a wand, she used it so little.

"Welcome students" she said in her misty voice as they climbed up the ladder. "Although you are all late, I had already seen this unfortunate event with my inner eye, and you will all be excused. We cannot fight the journey of the fates"

The class sat down in their usual places around the tables and Professor Trelawney began explaining the 'mysteries of the Tarot', as she put it. Lara, Ana, Lizzie and Sophie all seemed to be in a mood with her, but they still sat on the same table. She smiled apologetically as they got their stuff out.

When Professor Trelawney had finished explaining about all the cards and the suits and the court cards (A/N The court cards are the king, queen and jack in ordinary cards – the king, queen, knight and page in a Tarot deck), she set them into pairs to read their own cards. Ginny was left out, like usual, and so Professor Trelawney took the opportunity to carry on their earlier 'one-on-one' lesson, much to Ginny's disappointment. Even being partnered with Roderick Mohnagan had to better than Professor Trelawney throwing death omens at you every which way and that. 

"We are going to start off with the most simple reading, the Three-Card Spread. It involves laying out three cards to represent past, present and future...but first you must clear your mind of all extraneous thoughts..." she said hazily, closing her eyes and waving her hands around over her own multicoloured cards, palms down.

'Extraneous?' Ginny thought, baffled, as she tried to copy Professor Trelawney and feeling utterly ridiculous.

"Now you must shuffle the cards, remembering to reverse some (A/N I think reverse means shuffle some upside down). That is very important, my dear"

So Ginny shuffled them whilst trying to clear her mind *and* think about not getting a paper cut at the same time.

"Now, take the first three cards from the deck, one at time, and lay them down in front of you...the first for the past, the second for the present, and the third...for the future..."

Slowly, Ginny drew the first card from the pack and laid it out in front of her. It was the Nine of Wands.

"This card is not reversed, my dear, meaning it is positive...," said Professor Trelawney, sounding almost disappointed. "This means that, in your past, you have always had stability and a certain strength in your life, perhaps at home. Correct?"

Ginny nodded.

 "I thought as such. Now, the next card please..."

Ginny took out the next card, and laid it on the table. The Six of Cups. Reversed. Oh dear.

Professor Trelawney's eyes seem to glint at the prospect of bad news, and she let a small gasp escape her lips as she leant back in the armchair she had occupied.

"My dear, I perceive that bad times are happening for you right now, perhaps a great change that you are having trouble accepting? And possibly some unresolved and very bad pain?"

Ginny felt a stab of grief through her chest as the sudden thought of Charlie emerged in her brain. Yep, she was definitely going through a lot of pain right now, and she was certainly having trouble accepting something...his death. She sniffled and silently counted to ten, trying to suppress the pain that had made a sudden reappearance. She nodded vaguely to let Professor Trelawney know she was right.

"Then let us proceed to the third and final card..." she replied, waving her hand towards the deck. Ginny drew out the last card and placed it on the table. It was a picture of seven cups, each one slightly different to the last. It was the Seven of Cups (A/N Obviously!).

'Bet this one's just as bad' thought Ginny, feeling very depressed.

But Professor Trelawney didn't look completely happy with this next prediction. That had to be a good sign.

"Ah, so it is the seven of cups representing your future. The card of choices. As it is not reversed, then the meaning is more positive, although" (here there was a gleam in her eye) "it is not *entirely* positive. You must make an important decision; however, there are many options to choose. But beware, you must make your decision carefully, child, since not all is as it seems! Doorways of opportunity open, but you have to develop intuition to know which one you must choose..."

Maybe not the best good sign ever given. Ginny felt deflated. Her day was getting steadily worse by the second. She didn't feel like making choices and all that right now. It just wasn't the time. Why did her life have to be so bloody confusing?

"Now, I think that will be all for today..." Trelawney murmured, getting up from her armchair. "Please pack away class...farewell and good fortune to all..." she said, looking at Ginny with a sad glance.

Ginny descended Professor Trelawney's ladder gloomily, not bothering to try and catch up with her 'friends', who still seemed to be in a mood and had gone to the common room ahead of her. She walked back in silence, thinking about the predictions the cards had made. They had seemed pretty accurate, although Ginny doubted Professor Trelawney had much influence over them anyway. The first one, the Nine of Wands, had mirrored her childhood almost perfectly, although there had been a little hiccup now and again (i.e. being the youngest and getting the least attention). Then there had been the Six of Cups, which had been pretty much spot on, what with all that had happened recently...and then the Seven of Cups. Choices...Ginny didn't like the sound of that. Anyway, what choices could she possibly have to make? She didn't have anything *to* choose. Not school subjects, sports, friends...nothing really.

She was broken out of her musings when she collided head on with someone. Her packed school bag split, sending books, ink holders, parchment and quills, flying everywhere. Both her and the other person yelped as they were splattered with blue ink.

"Watch it!" cried the person she had bumped into. "You've just ruined my robes!"

Ginny looked up from her inky school uniform to see something that would help to make her day ten times worse.

"Malfoy!" she cried, seeing the silver hair and icy eyes she dreaded meeting.

"What did you think Weasel, an elephant?" he replied angrily, hastily brushing his robes in an attempt to remove the ink that was quickly staining his immaculate uniform. "You've just ruined my robes! But then again, I expect you've never had anything new, so it wouldn't matter to you, would it"

Suddenly Ginny felt that red hot flush of anger that had become so familiar lately. She felt like she wanted to strangle Malfoy there and then, but she did the next best thing she could think of. She shouted.

"Oh for goodness sake Malfoy, SHUT UP! For once in your life could you just give it a rest with the clever remarks!"

Ginny took in a deep breath, her face red, her fists clenched. She had never stood up to Malfoy before, never had enough backbone to do so. What had changed to make her do something so...non-Ginnyish?

Malfoy stood dead still for a split second, his expression one of shock, before he regained his composure and his famous smirk appeared. He opened his mouth to say something, but Ginny, in her anger, swept past him and picked up her belongings, which were strewn across the floor, before trying to put them back in her bag, giving up, and finally stalking off up the corridor and out of sight.

Malfoy stared after her, his earlier shock and confusion back on his face. When had the youngest Weasley developed a backbone? Shrugging, he turned back towards the dungeons, putting his hands in his pockets lazily as he contemplated what could have caused such a change. Perhaps it had been the death of that brother of hers. He'd have to find out. The youngest Weasley had suddenly become a lot more interesting.

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A/N Wow, nine pages! So much! I doubt I'll be making a habit of it though, as my mum's a bit iffy at the moment cause she thinks ff.n is taking priority over my homework. I'm on half-term for Christ's sake! Oh well, I shall have to convince her otherwise. Sorry it took so long to update, but I had loads of homework in the week leading up to my holiday (which is now =) Yippee!) so I didn't have much chance to do any writing. Also, I've been betaing Nalia's fic 'One Last Chance With You' (I'm pretty sure it's that one. I know it used to be called 'The Mission') so I've been pretty busy these last few days. Btw, did you notice my little bit of R/H fluff? I love R/H! (almost as much as D/G, but not quite).

I'm gonna try and do shout outs in the next chapter, but I haven't had a chance yet, even though I keep meaning to. I'll just say: THANKS SO MUCH to all my reviewers! It means a lot, and I love to read them! I mean it! Actually, I do have one shout out, but only cause I remember what the review said.

**cashew** – you got your Draco/Ginny interaction! I'm sorry it's not much, but I decided that was the best place to leave it. I promise there'll be more soon! Also, please tell me if I'm writing the whole grieving process okay. I've never really been in the situation of having someone really close to me die (touch wood – not Sean Biggerstaff! I know, I know, *terrible* pun) so if you see anything ridiculous or wrong, please tell me, I'd appreciate it. Also, update! (please? No pressure!)

Anyway, I'll try and do the rest of the shout outs next chapter. Happy reading and reviewing! (please!)


	4. Letters and Presents

Things Change

A/N Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I really appreciate them, and I _will_ be doing shout outs in this chapter! Finally!

I really don't have much to say right now, so I'm just gonna get on with the chapter and free you of hearing about my little ol' life.

Ahhhhhh, I'm in shock! I've just realised I'm actually on chapter four! And I only started writing this cause I was bored! Freaky!

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"Damned piece of junk!" Ginny muttered to herself as she sat on her bed, trying to sew up her bag. The seams had split and she had spent the last half hour trying to stitch them back together. Her school things lay on her bedside table, most of them stained with blue ink like her robes. She couldn't afford new books so she'd have to spend the rest of the school year trying to read pages splattered with blotches of dark blue. Worse still, her potions homework, a three foot essay on the necessity of slug entrails in a darkening potion, was ruined. It was completely illegible.

"Ouch!"

The needle had just pricked her finger. A small dot of blood appeared on her skin. Putting her finger in her mouth, Ginny silently cursed her life, wishing she could just float away from it and take a much needed holiday. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. She intended to stay home for Christmas and as Bill had gone back to Egypt after the funeral there wasn't much point in going anyway.

Putting the last few stitches in the bag, she held it up to examine her work. Not great, but it'd have to do.

"You are a walking disaster, Ginny Weasley" she muttered, picking up her books and putting them in her bag again, along with her quills, parchment, and, apprehensively, her ink. She inspected the essay next, sighing as she resigned herself to the fact that she'd have to do it again.

Placing her bag on the floor, she turned off her lamp, lay down and was just getting comfortable when she suddenly shot bolt upright in bed.

"Damn it!"

"Uggh...go to sleep Gin..." murmured a sleepy Lizzie from the other side of the room. "It can't be that bad..."

Ginny shook her head and leant against her headboard, almost crying in frustration. Her stupid essay was due in for tomorrow – Monday. Groaning in annoyance, Ginny switched her lamp on, ready to at least do her homework in bed –

"Gin, turn the bloody light off!" shouted Sophie.

Ginny sighed.

"Okay..." she murmured in reply, obediently turning the lamp off and getting out of bed, trying not to make it creak. Feeling around in the dark for her bag, she picked it up and quietly made her way over to the door, closing it softly behind her.

Down in the common room, she turned one of the lamps on and sat down at a table, taking her work from her bag and spreading it out in front of her. Wearily, she got a clean piece of parchment out, along with her quill and ink, setting them on the shiny wooden surface. With a sigh, she began the arduous task of copying out her work, word for word.

After what felt like a lifetime (but was really only a few hours), she was almost finished.

'Just a couple more words...' she thought drowsily, before she reluctantly lay her head down on the still drying ink and let sleep claim her.

=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=

She was woken by harsh sunlight streaming in through the curtains. Lifting her head up, she winced as the stiff muscles in her neck protested. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to work out where she was. Red couches, armchairs, lots of tables, tapestries on the wall...must be the common room – wait, the common room?!

She sat bolt upright, her muscles feeling even worse. The memories from last night came flooding back to her, and she hurriedly collected her things from the table, checking her watch as she did so. To her dismay she realised it was 7:35, meaning the other girls would almost be ready for lessons. Rushing upstairs, she opened the door, only to find everyone was still in bed.

"Uh, guys?" she called into the silence, walking over to her bed and dumping her stuff on it. A mumble of dissent ran around the room as her roommates woke up. Peering out from behind her hangings, Ana rubbed the sleep from her eyes and frowned.

"Ginny, what _are_ you doing?" she asked, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She took a long drink of water from the glass on her bedside table.

Ginny frowned.

"Well, I was waking you all up, because I just came up from the common room and you guys were all still asleep –"

"What did you expect..." muttered a heavy-eyed Lara as she pulled on her dressing gown.

"– so I thought I'd better wake you so we're not late"

"Late?" asked Ana.

"For class. I've been up all night doing my potions essay over again so I could hand it in on time. It got totally ruined when my bag split – what?"

Ana was giggling to herself, a small smile on her face as she looked at Ginny sympathetically.

"Gin," she said gently. "It's Sunday"

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Breakfast the next day was just the same as usual. Ana was talking about something and Lizzie was listening attentively. Lara and Sophie were going on about Quidditch – again. In fact, everything was just the way it was before...

The sudden sound of hundreds of owls flying in through the windows disrupted Ginny's thoughts. She watched as everyone received their mail, kids going crazy about some new piece of news, one or two looking more than a little upset, and others just looking thoroughly happy at the presents they'd been sent. But she didn't expect to get any herself. It was Ron or the twins who always got the mail. Now the twins had left, it was just Ron. She never got any.

She watched as a particularly beautiful grey owl swooped high over the house tables, circling lower and lower, lower and lower...wait, wasn't that owl flying in her direction...?

It landed next to the jug of pumpkin juice, dropped its load on her plate and sat regally on the table, waiting for its reward. Ginny fed it a piece of bacon before it gave her a slightly affectionate nip and flew off.

Ginny examined what it had delivered. It was a parcel, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a piece of string. On top sat a letter. She opened the envelope as quickly as she could, eager to see who it was from.

_Dear Ginny,_

It read.

_I sent his using a colleague's owl, so if he's a bit iffy, don't mind him. His name's Webbs. I'm back in __Egypt__ again, for quite a few days by the time you're reading this. I had to portkey here because there was a terrible sandstorm in these parts and if I'd aparated I probably would have ended up looking like a sand monster – half sand, half human!'_

_    Anyway, I've been pretty busy for the last day or two, as we've just discovered a new pyramid – with the most complicated system of curses I've ever seen. It'll take me a good long while to crack these. I've been working all day and I've only just got a chance to sit down. It's my lunch break and I'm sitting under a white tent in the middle of the desert, the shade hiding me from the intense sun. Doesn't stop the heat though. Its _boiling_ out here! The only thing stopping me from feeling like I'm on holiday is the fact that there's an Egyptian mummy about three feet away from me being worked on by a team wizards._

_    You'd love it here, and I know the Egyptians would really fascinate you – ancient and modern._

Ginny smiled softly as she read that part. He was right there.

_The inscriptions of hieroglyphs are amazing. So far we've managed to find out that it was built over six thousand years ago. Pretty incredible, huh? And we also know that it was the tomb of a respected and powerful high priest called Anotatae. He was a wizard, and the Pharaoh's most trusted advisor. We've only excavated a little of the pyramid and we already know so much. Just think about the information we haven't found yet! This could be the most informative pyramid ever discovered! Isn't it great?_

_    There is one other thing I wanted to tell you, because I wanted you to be the first of our family to know – I've got a girlfriend._

Ginny smiled faded slightly at this. A girlfriend? But...Bill never had girlfriends. Well, he never brought them home if he did.

_It means a lot to me that I can tell you. I've had girlfriends before but I've never really said anything. I wanted you to know before mum started going crazy. Also, would it be alright if you didn't tell anyone? I want it to be a secret for a little while longer._

_    Remember, you're still my favourite sister! ('I'm his _only_ sister') _Have fun at school (?) _and __I'll be seeing you around!_

_    Love and hugs,_

_                        Bill_

_p.s. I hope you like what's in the parcel._

Ginny sighed a bit as she folded the letter up and put it in her bag. She didn't _mind if Bill had a girlfriend, not at all – it was just an underlying feeling of...what? She shrugged and put the thought to the back of her mind before turning to the parcel in her breakfast._

She examined it closely. It was about the size of her palm, maybe a little bigger, and square in shape, but the corners looked as if they were rounded. Lifting it off the half-eaten ham sandwich, she wiped a few stray pieces of food off of it before pulling off the wrapping. Inside was a box, a dark blue colour and velvety to the touch. A note was stuck to the top. She pulled it off and recognised Bill's handwriting again.

_I got this from a dig in __Cairo_. I thought it would be perfect for you. I've checked it for curses and there aren't any, so it looks like either a piece from a muggle tomb or from someone not very special. It's all authentic, every single part. It was all found together as one piece and it's from the reign of Remises II. The colour is also very unusual for ___Egypt__, but I thought that would make it more special. I've put it in a muggle jewellery box, in case you were wandering what the blue thing was. I hope you like it!_

Puzzled, Ginny opened the box. To her surprise and delight, she saw the most beautiful object she had ever imagined. It was an Udjat, the eye of Horus, made of a stunning silver and with a stone that looked suspiciously like a diamond set where the pupil would have been. It was held on a strikingly delicate chain of the same metal, with a tiny clasp at the back.

Ginny held the object in her hand, marvelling at its splendour. She slipped it round her neck, fiddling with the tiny clasp for a moment before it shut. Letting go, she felt the little Udjat come to rest just below her breastbone. It weight was comforting, reminding her of Bill far away in Egypt.

Smiling, Ginny finished her sandwich and waited for her 'friends', all of whom hadn't noticed her getting mail. Ginny didn't really feel she needed to wait for them, but she did anyway. She was feeling generous today.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Very good Mortly, very good. Your potion is coming along nicely" said Professor Snape as he strode across the classroom. It was a lie because Mortly's potion was lime green when it should have been navy blue.

"Wilson!" Snape snarled as he reached Sophie's cauldron. "Not the right colour! Five points from Gryffindor!"

A murmur of discord ran around the room from the Gryffindors, but they kept on working away, ignoring the gleeful sneers from the Slytherins. Sophie's potion was almost perfect, being just a little way off from reaching navy. All it needed was a little more time to brew.

He walked round to Lizzie's next. Lizzie wasn't as good at potions as the others, and was having trouble making her potion thicken and turn darker. At the moment it had the consistency of watery soup and was sky blue.

Snape eyed her potion with an air of disgust before dipping Lizzie's ladle into and letting the liquid fall back off the spoon into the cauldron with a noisy 'slop'. A chorus of jeers and shouts echoed from the Slytherins, but they quietened when they realised Snape was talking.

"A sickening sight, Miss Halloway. I have never seen a worse potion in all my time here. The colour is atrocious and it is no denser than water. The house elves could make broth thicker than that"

Laughter erupted from the Slytherin tables, Mortly grinning widely as he eyed his own potion. Lizzie blushed red, looking at the floor.

"You will start again from scratch, using the rest of your ingredients" Snape continued, observing her potion one more time before moving over to the other side of the room. Lizzie almost collapsed as soon as he had gone, leaning against Lara. She wouldn't be able to make much of a potion now. She had hardly any ingredients left.

Ginny watched as the others crowded around Lizzie, comforting her. She didn't join in. They weren't always the most supportive people when it came to her, so she decided to return the favour.

=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=

"Right, I would like your homework in, the essay on the necessity of slug entrails in a darkening potion – no excuses!" Snape yelled as the bell rang for the end (finally) of double potions.

Ginny rummaged around in her bag and dug out her redone essay. Some of the ink was slightly blotted where her quill had snapped, but other than that it legible and three foot long. As she handed it in Snape looked it up and down with an air of dislike. She scurried out before he could condemn it completely and hurried away from the classroom. The others had gone to transfiguration ahead of her, Lizzie being anxious to leave the dungeons after the earlier incident with Snape, so Ginny was left on her own once again. Her pace slowed as she got further away from the class, and she absentmindedly fiddled with her necklace, running her finger over the diamond. She didn't really take any notice of the usual crowd of students until a voice that she hated echoed around the corridor.

"Where are your simpering friends Weasley? Or have they forgotten about you? Lucky I haven't, eh?"

Ginny sighed, exasperated. Turning round, she eyed the person in front of her.

"What is it Mortly?" she asked wearily, shaking her head slightly with displeasure. Mortly grinned, making his already fine features seem more handsome than ever. It was a shame he was such a bastard. He paced forward until he was within arms reach of her.

"What, afraid to say my name Weasley?" he said, stalking around her like a vulture eyeing its prey.

"No Mortly," she replied calmly, watching him as he walked in his wide circle. "I just don't want to dirty my mouth with your foul name"

A chorus of 'Ooo's was heard from the watching crowd as students gathered round the two. Mortly's face contorted with anger, sullying his features.

"My name will never be as dirty as yours!" he spat, grabbing her arm and twisting it painfully.

"Ow! Mortly, stop it!" Ginny cried, trying to wrench free from his grasp, but he was too strong. He looked at her with anger and for a moment Ginny thought he was going to kill her, but then somebody grabbed him and pulled him back. Ginny almost fell over as she stumbled, balancing herself on a windowsill. She looked up, ready to thank her rescuer, but she stopped, her mouth agape, as soon as she saw who it was.

Draco Malfoy stood with Mortly, an angry look on his face as he held Mortly's arm. The crowd had dispersed now, most of the students heading back to their lessons. Mortly looked up at Draco in dislike.

"What did you do that for?" he asked furiously, looking at Malfoy as though he were mad. "It's just the Weasley girl"

"I was stopping you from dishonouring you family, Mortly" Draco replied as if talking to a small and rather stupid child. "If you'd been caught fighting you would have brought disgrace on your family name".

Ginny felt slightly put out.

'So that's the only reason he saved you' she thought to herself. 'Wait – did you just think that?'. She shook her head to stop the stupid thoughts. 'Of course it is Ginny. He's Malfoy. Not that you care in the first place'. And she really didn't either.

Mortly's face was filled with rage, but he didn't say anything, just pulled his arm from Draco's grasp and went off with his friends, muttering angrily to them. Slowly, Ginny walked forward to where Malfoy was standing. She opened her mouth to speak, but Malfoy gave her look and she shut up.

"Don't thank me Weasel. I didn't do that for you"

He began to walk away, his robes (which Ginny noticed were newer than the ones she had ruined on Friday) billowing a little in a slight breeze. Ginny turned to go too, but she stopped when she heard his voice behind her.

"Peter Mortly's a worthless piece of slime. Stay away from him if you don't want to be rescued again, because next time I won't be there to save you"

And with that he left, Ginny looking after him in amazement.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N So, how was that? Six pages if you don't count the Author's Note and shout outs, eight if you do. I know it was a little short but I decided it was best to leave it there because it was a nice little line of Draco's, wasn't it? I'm rather proud of it. Ooo, he's getting a little friendly...or is he? And Peter Mortly's a worthless piece of junk in my opinion, not Ginny's bag. Oh well. Anyways, I'll be starting chapter five (oh my god!) in a minute (two chapters in one day!), but now here we go with the shout outs. Finally!

**cashew** -  I'm glad that you're glad I updated! And no, I didn't forget about it! Well, I've introduced Draco twice now, so that should satisfy you're thirst for Draconess, huh? Not likely, I suspect! I'm glad my exams are over too, so thank you, and I'll update as soon as possible. Btw, I'm a dork too, so we can be dorks together! Also, I didn't know you'd read Thinking of Memories! You must review! (pleez?)

**Okeanos** – Why should I tell you about the boy thing with Jack? Nah, I'm just playing. Anyway, all your guesses were wrong, remember? And you're welcome. I love making you sound like a bitch! It's fun. No, don't worry, you guys are lovely really cough*lying*cough. And yes way! He's gorgeous!

**Nalia** – Poor you. I'm glad you're better though – it means we can discuss Cruel Beauty! I put Orli Blum in there because Orlando Bloom is incredibly gorgeous! And yes, I _will keep the evil cats running, especially the pink and green ones!_

**Sue** – Thanks for saying I have a good story, I appreciate it! I've never really gone through the grieving process before (touch wood) so I don't really know about it, but I think in a situation like that somebody would be feeling confused and frightened, and would want to be supported. Physical contact can be construed as support, and as she was feeling vulnerable, she would be wondering why something like that was happening to her, and would want to know why her family weren't supporting her. With families like the Weasley's, support is probably something that's thought of as unconditional, so she may be in shock that she's not getting much. As she's depressed already, she's likely to think the worst, don't you think? Thanks for the drama point, I'll try and follow that. ^_^

**Crystal** – Really? It was sad? Cool, I'm glad you thought so, cause that was what I wanted! Thanks for the compliment on the ending also.

**Boggledmuggle313** – I'm glad you like a good cry, I do to! As you can see, I have kept on writing like a good little author and here is the result. You like?

**Dragix** – Only 4? Okay, and thanks for pointing out that thing about the apparating thing. Just for you I have changed that and from now on it is said that they FLOOED to Hogwarts. And I agree, the beginning _was_ boring, but I _was_ bored and that is the ONLY reason I started writing this. I don't like the beginning either. Thanks for reading every word though, you must have the patience of a saint.

Originally I was going to have Bill die, but I like him too much so I chose Charlie instead. Poor guy. The 'they don't need me' feeling is gonna continue throughout the whole story so there will be lots of emphasis on it. Thanks for the compliment on the wording, I wasn't sure about that bit. Yeah, the beginning could be better, I agree. But thanks for saying it's nice : ) 

**Mrs muffin man** – Thanks for saying it's good, but please don't say I have to read the HP book more, it's torture! ^_^ I've read them a lot (about twenty times) and I _know_ Ginny's a loner-ish person, but the thing I'm trying to do is first of all make things seem great and then, as I go on, cracks are appearing. Thanks for the compliment on descriptions, I like to describe. ; ) 

**Scarlett** – Thanks for reviewing, you are mucho kind! Pleez come read some more, I'd like it if you did! Thanks for saying it's good work!

**France3470** – Yeah, poor ol' Ginny huh? She's having a rough time! You love it? Cool. I'm glad you like Ginny's friends, but you might not now! They're not too nice to her sometimes are they? And, yes, I want you to read more too, so please do!

Thanks to all my reviewers, especially the faithful ones (cashew, Nalia and Okeanos)! I hope all you others will come read the rest, I'd like that! Anyone who knows the others, maybe pass the word around that I'd like them to read the rest?

Now, just for Dragix, here is the new and improved entrance of...drum roll please...Mr and Mrs Weasley!

_ "What? –"Ron started, but at that moment there was a shuffling noise and a flurry of green flame and soot, and Mr and Mrs Weasley appeared in the grate of Dumbledore's fireplace. Mrs Weasley's face was red and tear-stained, and Mr Weasley looked as if he had been crying too._

Now, go and be good readers and please review! But first, a little note...

**What did you think of Professor Trelawney and the Tarot in chapter three? I wanted to know if I portrayed her okay, so if you could comment on what you thought of her, please do. I also wanted to know if you liked her Tarot reading**


	5. Meeting Over Quidditch

Things Change  
  
A/N Oh. My. God. I'm on chapter five! Seriously, I can't actually believe it! I don't know why, but having five chapters suddenly makes my fic seem looooooooong. It's a milestone. I know, I know, pathetic, but hey! It's probably because I've got the house ALL TO MYSELF. No noise or anything, just a nice, quiet, perfect writing environment. Lucky me!  
  
I'm such a blind plot person, so I have no idea where I'm going with this, so excuse me for being confused. I just have this image in my head of me walking around a room in a blindfold. Excuse the madness, but I'm constantly being attacked by plot bunnies, so I'm slightly crazy today. Thing is, I don't even know if this is gonna end good or bad. Poor Ginny, her fate is in my hands. #_#  
  
Anyways, thanks for all reviews, flames, whatever, that get thrown my way, they are much appreciated. Right, that's said, what next?  
  
Ah, yes, any comments anyone has for possible scenes, creatures, characters I could introduce, etc, will be taken into consideration. I won't just automatically put your suggestion in, but I'll gratefully consider all ideas. ^_^  
  
And as for the Quidditch players, I had to make some new ones up to fit in with the story. Ah well. It's pretty annoying actually, cause I don't want to have to change all these things, but I'll just have to deal I guess.  
  
So here we go (ahhhhhh!)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The vast, chattering crowd made their way towards the Quidditch pitch excitedly, a mass of scarlet and gold. Ginny was in the middle of the throng with the rest of the 5th years, a golden rosette pinned to her robes and a small, thin scarf with the Gryffindor colours on it tied around her wrist. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan carried a banner with a picture of the whole Quidditch team drawn on it, surrounded by cheering crowds. Everyone was in an excellent mood, eagerly awaiting the first match of the season between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The teams had disappeared into the changing rooms after breakfast, the tension between them almost unbearable.  
  
Ginny listened quietly to Lizzie as they walked up the stairs into the stands and took places right at the front.  
  
"...And I heard that all the England team are from Hogwarts, and that the new guy, Jefferson, he only graduated a couple of years ago, and..."  
  
Ginny smiled to herself as Lizzie started to list all her favourite players. That girl'd never get over how much she loved Quidditch. She was a muggle and had only discovered the sport when she came to Hogwarts. She still loved football, but she loved Quidditch just as much, maybe even more.  
  
Just then, ¾ of the crowd began to cheer ecstatically as the Gryffindor players zoomed out onto the pitch.  
  
"Here are the Gryffindor team, Ladies and Gents," cried Thom Walker into the megaphone. He was the new commentator, a 6th year Ravenclaw. "Weasley, Bell, Harris, Scott, Marcus, McCauley and Potter!"  
  
The crowd applauded wildly, cheering and jumping up and down, drowning out the boos coming from the Slytherin supporters on the other side of the pitch. The team did a lap of honour, soaring around the field. Ginny could see Harry, as Captain, at the front, and her heart skipped a beat. She groaned and shook her head, letting it drop to her chest. Sighing, she looked up again, scanning the pitch for Ron's unmissable red hair. That was always how she found him, by looking for his hair. He was the only Weasley on the team now, Fred and George having left. They'd been replaced by a 5th year boy called Callum Marcus and a 3rd year girl called Jane McCauley. Angelina, Katie and Alicia had also left and had also been replaced, once again by three girls - Lucy Scott, Marie Harris and Ellis Bell, Katie's younger sister.  
  
Ah, there was Ron, looping the goalposts. He had been made keeper last year, much to his and Harry's delight.  
  
"And now," Thom said, a little less enthusiastically. "The Slytherin team..."  
  
A chorus of boos rose from the Gryffindor followers even before he'd announced the team properly. The Slytherins cheered louder, but not loud enough to conquer the discord that was rippling through the stands. The team zipped out onto the pitch, lapping the field before taking their positions, ready to begin. Ginny thought she saw a flash of silver whiz past, but she put it to the back of her mind.  
  
Madam Hooch rose in the air, got the team Captains to shake hands, and then...the whistle blew! Immediately the cheers became even more tumultuous, the supporters shouting encouragement to their team and insults at the other. Thom had to keep dancing out of McGonagall's reach.  
  
Within twenty minutes the score had reached Thirty - Zero to Gryffindor, and there had already been a foul. The Slytherins were rocketing angrily around the pitch, desperately trying to sore. Ginny watched fixedly, worrying about Ron as he saved another goal. The last time they'd played against Slytherin he'd ended up in the hospital wing after being hit badly in the head by a Bludger, and she didn't want another repeat of that. Her family didn't need something else to worry about.  
  
"Ginny, look at Ellis!" Ana cried beside her, grabbing her arm and pointing up at a tiny speck of scarlet and gold that was speeding toward the Slytherin goalposts. Ginny watched intently as Ellis raced towards the goalkeeper. She got ready to throw the Quaffle; it sailed towards the goalpost...  
  
"SHE SCORES!" Thom yelled into the megaphone, jumping up and down elatedly. "Ellis Bell scores! Forty - Zero to Gryffindor!"  
  
Ginny cheered and clapped fervently, grinning as Ellis did a lap of honour, but quickly her delight turned to alarm as a Slytherin chaser hurtled towards the Gryffindor goal. The tension in the crowd grew as he got nearer; he threw the Quaffle through the air; it didn't look like Ron's arm was reaching far enough...  
  
"Forty - Ten" Thom said glumly as the chaser punched the air triumphantly. The Slytherins cheered raucously, throwing insults at the Gryffindor team as they flew past.  
  
The Slytherins scored three more goals, making it evens, and soon the hostility between the two teams was almost stifling as both teams tried to get out in front. Ginny watched the game on tender-hooks. The speck that was Harry circled above the other players, trailed by a speck of green that had to be Malfoy. As she caught sight of them her heart fluttered, but who for, Ginny didn't know.  
  
Just then, a flurry of activity at the Gryffindor end of the pitch caught her attention. Madam Hooch was shouting at a burly Slytherin player. Thom was providing a running commentary.  
  
"...Yes, it looks like the Slytherin beater Bole instigated an unprovoked attack on the Gryffindor chaser Harris inside the scoring area. He hit her with his beater bat. Go on, Madam Hooch, give him what for! Joking Professor, joking! And...oh, it looks like Gryffindor have been given a penalty! Harris takes it; she flies towards the goal posts...come on Marie! And...Oh yes, she scores! Gryffindor are in the lead Fifty - Forty!"  
  
Ginny jumped up and down wildly, cheering Marie on as she did a little lap of honour, but next moment, the crowd were looking at something else. Harry and Malfoy were rocketing towards the ground. Harry was in front...no, now they were level...now Malfoy was just a little way ahead...but no, Harry shoved him out the way and next moment he was soaring upwards, the snitch held tightly in his hand.  
  
The Gryffindor crowd shouted and cheered riotously, clapping like crazy as Harry was swamped by the rest of the team. Ginny grinned broadly as Ron flung his arms around Harry's neck. It was nice to see him looking happy, even if they hadn't really talked lately.  
  
The next moment she could feel arms around her own neck.  
  
"We won, we won!" Lara yelled behind her, jumping up and down. Ginny extracted herself from Lara's death grip and grinned back.  
  
"I know!" she shouted back, still clapping as the team whizzed around the pitch excitedly. "Isn't it great?"  
  
But Lara didn't hear her, having turned back to the others. Ginny sighed. 'Oh well' she thought with a sigh. 'Nothing's changed'.  
  
=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=  
  
"Wasn't Marie great?" Sophie said enthusiastically as they made their way down the stairs. "The way she dodged that keeper - pure skill!"  
  
Ginny listened to the others as they walked back down the stairs from the stands. They were discussing Marie Harris' penalty that had brought them out in front. Ginny couldn't be bothered to talk. The excitement of the match had tired her out. She reached up to her neck, feeling for the comforting weight of her Udjat necklace, but she couldn't find it. Panicking, she looked down, only to find it was missing.  
  
"Hey, guys!" she called to the others. They stopped and looked round.  
  
"What is it Gin?"  
  
"I've lost my necklace! I'm going to go back up and have a look for it" she said, already running up the stairs. The others shrugged.  
  
"Okay!" they called to her retreating back.  
  
Ginny reached the stands hurriedly, panic already setting in. Kneeling down on the floor by where she had been sitting, she felt around on the ground for the little eye on its delicate chain, but she couldn't find it. After about ten minutes of searching, she gave up. Tears came to her eyes as she leant against the barrier, her hands longing to reach up to her neck and feel the weight of the little Udjat. She was so absorbed in her tears that she didn't notice someone coming up behind her.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
She jumped and looked up. She found herself looking into the face of a boy, with black hair and grey eyes. He looked vaguely familiar...  
  
"Thom Walker...?"  
  
The boy smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I was last time I checked. And you look like Ginny Weasley. What's wrong?"  
  
She looked up at him for a second, confused, but then she remembered why she'd been crying.  
  
"Oh," she said, feeling slightly stupid. "I've lost my necklace, that's all"  
  
Thom smiled sympathetically.  
  
"Would it happen to be silver?" he asked, kneeling down on the floor so that he was level with her. Ginny nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.  
  
"And would it happen to be a little eye with a diamond in the middle?" he asked again, his smile growing wider.  
  
"Yeeees..." Ginny replied, a small, suspicious smile now dancing across her own face as she looked at Thom's mischievous expression.  
  
Thom smiled and held out his hand. Resting on his palm lay her necklace.  
  
"I found it when I was walking back down from the stands. This little sparkle caught my eye, I looked down, and this was on the floor. Then I heard you crying, so I came over...and you know the rest..."  
  
Ginny smiled happily, reaching out and taking the necklace from his palm. Thom stood and held out his hand, pulling her up from the floor as she clutched the necklace.  
  
"Thank you *so* much!" she said, kissing the necklace and hugging it too her. She was about to open the clasp, but then she saw it was broken. She sighed dolefully, holding the necklace up by the chain and examining it. "Oh great...it must have broken when it fell off"  
  
"Here, let me fix it for you" Thom replied, reaching out and taking it from her hand. Their finger brushed slightly and Ginny felt her cheeks flush. She looked down at the floor, hiding her face.  
  
Taking out his wand, Thom muttered a spell, and the clasp reformed, the silver melding together again as if it had never broken. Then he held it out, smiling.  
  
"Let me put it on for you"  
  
Ginny nodded slightly, reddening even more. Soon she'd look like a giant tomato. Scooping her hair into a ponytail, she held it out of Thom's way as he put the chain around her neck. His fingers brushed her skin a little, causing tingles to run down her spine.  
  
"There you go," he said, straightening and turning Ginny round by her shoulders. "It suits you"  
  
Grinning, Ginny held out her arms and spun round, curtseying at the end in a little pose. Thom grinned back.  
  
"Shall I walk you back up to the castle?" He asked as they made their way to the stairs.  
  
"Yeah," Ginny replied, smiling. "That'd be nice"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Draco watched as the Ravenclaw boy walked the Weasley across the grounds to the castle. His hand was on her shoulder and from where Draco was standing it didn't look like she was complaining.  
  
He was under a tree by the lake, brooding over the Slytherin's defeat at the hands of Potter - again. Watching Weasley and the boy, he wondered fleetingly why they were getting on his nerves. He felt like his pride was being trodden on. Why, he had no idea. It wasn't like he was jealous. Of course he wasn't jealous. Why should he be jealous? He didn't have anything to be jealous about. It wasn't like he was going out with Gin-the Weasley girl or anything. And it wasn't like he wanted to either.  
  
He surveyed them as they walked through the front doors. The Weasley girl was laughing about something the boy must have said. Draco shook his head. She was acting cheap anyway, flirting with the first boy that came along. Not that he cared, of course.  
  
He sat under the tree for a couple more minutes, but now he was getting bored and the wind was biting through his thick cloak, so he got up and followed the same path as the Weasley girl had done a few minutes before, slipping through the doors and into the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N I know, so short. It's not even five pages, but I promise, more next time! Thanks for all the reviews and all that, its nice hearing from people. I know this chapter's totally crap, but hey! And what'd you think of Thom, huh? Nice or nasty? And Draco...Ooo, is he jealous? Or just plain cranky?  
  
Anyways, ya'll know the drill - get reviewing and tell me! 


	6. A Truce of Sorts

Things Change  
  
A/N Ah, chapter six is here! Give me a holiday and the house to myself for a couple of hours and Voila! I'm getting chapters out at five a millisecond. Well, not quite, but hey, it's pretty close!  
  
This chapy I don't have much to ramble about, so once again you are free from listening to me rabbit on about nothing all day. Lucky you!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After a tiring and uneventful couple of weeks at school, the next Hogsmeade weekend had finally arrived, much to Ginny's delight.  
  
Because it wasn't just school that was tiring.  
  
Her love life was a bit of mess too.  
  
Every time she saw Harry, her heart fluttered. Every time she saw Malfoy (much to her annoyance, of course), her heart fluttered. And now, every time she saw Thom, her heart fluttered. Thom had been so nice when he walked her back to the castle, not only taking her to the main entrance, but walking her most of the way back to her common room as well. He was funny, charming, delightful even, and it looked like he was actually interested in her. Boys were never interested in her. After the Chamber of Secrets, most people had kept their distance. Even four years later she was still a pretty unpopular girl, but now...She'd never even really met Thom before, but he was just so...nice. They had talked a lot in the two or so weeks after their first meeting, mostly in the library or outside in the chilly air. He had even said he wanted to take her to Hogsmeade with him the next time the trip was on. Imagine that, Ginny Weasley being taken to Hogsmeade by a *boy*! She was over the moon, to say the least.  
  
He met her in the entrance hall, smiling and holding out his arm as she greeted him. She thought fleetingly about what the other girls would say if they could see her now. When she had said she couldn't go to Hogsmeade with them they had immediately asked why, but she wouldn't tell them, wanting to keep her friendship with Thom a secret from them for the moment.  
  
They arrived at Hogsmeade in good spirits, surrounded by the other students as they all walked down the main street. Kids were disappearing into shops this way and that, and soon Thom and Ginny did the same, popping into Zonko's for some Sugar Quills for Thom and then into the Post Office so Ginny could send a letter to Bill.  
  
"Hey Ginny," Thom said as they stopped outside Madam Malkins. "What'd you want for Christmas?"  
  
"Christmas?" Ginny replied, her face pressed up against the glass as she gazed at a beautiful display of dress robes. "I haven't even thought about Christmas yet..."  
  
"Well, I think I know what you want already..." Thom replied, opening the door of Madam Malkins and pushing her in.  
  
Rows and rows of dress robes stared back at them, all in different colours. There was a desk at the back of the shop and a young and spotty assistant leaning against the wall, asleep.  
  
Ginny wondered up and down the racks of dress robes quietly, reaching out a hand here and there to touch the smooth materials. Silk, velvet, taffeta...so many wonderful robes caught her eye, all in so many colours. Thom walked behind her, and she could see him smiling from the corner of her eye.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" she asked playfully, looking at the price tag on a robe and taking a sharp breath.  
  
"Oh, nothing...," Thom replied impishly. "I was just thinking about what a fifteen year old girl would like for Christmas, that's all..."  
  
"Oh Thom, you *are* terrible. You've only known me for a couple of weeks"  
  
"So?"  
  
Ginny sighed, a smile on her face.  
  
"So, why would you want to get lil' ol' me something, huh?"  
  
"Because," Thom said, pulling a robe off the rack and holding it up against her. "I do"  
  
"Oh really," Ginny answered, putting the robe back on the rail. She was walking backwards now, matching Thom's speed. "And do you think I'm going to get something for you?"  
  
"Of course you are Gin"  
  
Ginny nodded her head, grinning.  
  
"Yes, you're absolutely right"  
  
"I thought so"  
  
Just then the bell above the doorway rang, and two people came in. They were Hogwarts students; a boy and girl.  
  
"...Oh, and I was thinking about silk, maybe with a bit of velvet, but definitely *no* lace, that is so last century..."  
  
Ginny groaned. Pansy Parkinson had just made an appearance; this was bad news. So, if Pansy Parkinson was in Madam Malkins with a boy, that meant...oh, great.  
  
"Malfoy"  
  
Draco looked at Thom with disdain, but nodded in recognition anyway. Thom was a half-blood.  
  
"Walker"  
  
Thom nodded and turned back to Ginny, but Malfoy carried on speaking. The 'conversation' clearly wasn't over.  
  
"Consorting with a Weasley? I didn't think she was your type"  
  
Thom frowned in annoyance. He turned back to Malfoy, and Ginny could see his hands were clenched under his sleeves.  
  
"Yes, I am *talking* to *Ginny*. Got a problem with that?"  
  
"Oh no," Draco replied. "She seems eager to be in your presence as well. Taken a fancy to him, have you? Or are you still pining after Potty?"  
  
Ginny could feel her face redden with anger. Why was it that whenever she was around somebody she 'liked', she went red?  
  
"You'd do well to shut up Malfoy. It might teach you something one of these days"  
  
But he was ready for the quick comeback now, and he grabbed her arm, holding her up to him as if examining her.  
  
"Still as feisty as...well, not quite ever, but anyway...what is it that makes a piece of filth like you so...spirited?"  
  
But Ginny wasn't concentrating on what Malfoy was saying. She was looking at his eyes. They told a very different story to the one his mouth was telling. His eyes, in their grey coldness, seemed to be filled with...Ginny couldn't seem to find the right word for it. Hunger...longing, perhaps? As if he wanted something and it was *so* close and yet just out of arms reach. It scared her, and it fascinated her. What was he looking for? What was it that made his eyes seem almost...human?  
  
"Not going to answer me Weasley?" Malfoy said, breaking through the fog of her brain, but Ginny sensed a slight waver in his voice, and knew she had seen what he was trying to keep a secret...maybe even from himself?  
  
"No...no, I'm not" Ginny replied, pulling his arm from his grasp, almost in what felt like slow motion. She backed over to where Thom was standing.  
  
"Get out of here Malfoy, and take Parkinson with you. She can come back another day"  
  
Thom's voice sounded so strong and protective that Ginny almost wanted to melt into it. Malfoy, sensing that Thom wasn't going to just back off without an argument, pulled on Pansy's arm and left, dragging her out of the shop like he was trying to drag a ten tonne elephant instead of a whining girl.  
  
"You alright Gin?" Thom asked, shaking her slightly.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine...I just *hate* running into Malfoy, that's all" she replied.  
  
Thom nodded in understanding, but Ginny doubted he really understood the reason. He pulled Ginny into him in a hug. It was the first time she had ever hugged Thom, and she leant against him gratefully, sighing into his scarf.  
  
"Tell you what," he said, and Ginny could feel his chest vibrating as he talked. "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks and have a butterbeer"  
  
Ginny pulled back from Thom's embrace and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, let's"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The pub was warm and cosy, and Ginny went on a mission to find a table whilst Thom bought the butterbeers. She chose one by a window, a little booth, with a model Guy Fawkes standing next to it. November the fifth had been a couple of weeks ago, but somebody had obviously forgotten to take this model down. Even though it was mostly a muggle festivity, lots of wizard families like to celebrate it too. Ginny's family was one of them. Her father would always use some of those Filibuster fireworks that Fred and George loved so much. Outside in the garden in the cool November air, wrapped in layers and layers of thick wool, Ginny always loved to stand with Bill and Charlie and watch as the fireworks would -  
  
'Charlie'  
  
She suddenly realised, to her absolute horror and shock, that she hadn't thought about Charlie nearly all day. Usually he was always there, in the back of her mind, like a comfort blanket making her feel better, just like her necklace did. She reached up to it now, unconsciously fiddling with it as she stared into space vacantly, thinking about her brother. She felt guilty, as if she was forgetting him. It had now been, what, five weeks since she had 'heard' about his...  
  
Pain flared up in her chest. She wasn't ready to forget, she didn't *want* to forget...she *couldn't* forget. She couldn't betray Charlie like that. A tear trickled from the corner of her eye, making a solitary path down her cheek.  
  
"Ginny? Are you alright?"  
  
It was Thom, back with the butterbeers. Ginny looked up and nodded, patting the seat beside her. Thom sat down and put the beers on the table, looking a bit worried.  
  
"Are you sure Gin? I don't think so. Is it Malfoy or something?"  
  
Ginny shook her head, still staring at nothing, a faraway look in her eyes.  
  
"I was thinking about Charlie..."  
  
"Oh," Thom replied. She had explained what had happened to Thom already, about how Charlie had been one of the first casualties of the war. "Do you want to...talk or anything?"  
  
Ginny nodded, tearing her eyes away from what she had alone been seeing and looking up at Thom. The pain in her eyes almost scared him. She leant against the back of the seat and fiddled with her necklace again, struggling to get the right words at first, but becoming more fluent as she went along.  
  
"It's almost like it happened...years ago, not last month. Only a month...it seems like a lifetime's passed in the time it's taken to get to this moment. Someone else's lifetime, not mine.  
  
"Pain's strange...Everyday you feel like you're getting there, feel that you're getting a little better, but you're not. You're just putting on a face, and even you think it's real.  
  
"And then today I realised...I realised that I hadn't been thinking about him. Usually, usually he's up here" she said, tapping a finger on her temple. "Looking after me, always there. But today...today I wasn't really thinking about him. And it felt...it felt okay. But not now"  
  
Thom stayed silent for a moment, before putting his arm around her and hugging her affectionately. Ginny leant against his shoulder, both of them in silence. They stayed like that for a while, before Ginny, feeling like she had just woken from a long sleep, yawned and stretched. Thom did the same.  
  
"Pass me my butterbeer will you, Thom?" Ginny asked, yawning, and rapidly everything slipped back into place and they started talking again. Ginny smiled to herself as Thom gave her her butterbeer. Charlie was back with her now, she thought contentedly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. He was back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Wow, two letters. I must be getting popular" Ginny murmured to herself as Errol dropped a letter on her head. He slumped against her glass of apple juice, some of his feathers floating in the green liquid. Ginny sighed and fed him some of her breakfast. He'd have to get himself up to the Owlery. Prodding him, he stood up on wobbly legs and spread his wings, flying through he window.  
  
The letter was from her mother, she could tell by the writing. Opening it, she pulled out one of the shortest notes her mother had ever sent her.  
  
//Dear Ginny,  
  
Bill's changed his mind and is now coming to stay with us for Christmas. If you want to come home as well, we'd really love it Ginny dear. Send Errol with your reply, we won't worry if he's not here for a few days. Keep working hard.  
  
Love, Mum//  
  
"Oh Bill, now I'll have to go!" she muttered crossly, folding the letter up and shoving it in her bag. "If you weren't going I wouldn't feel I have to!"  
  
Sighing, she was about to leave the table when she suddenly realised -  
  
'Bill'll be bringing his girlfriend, I bet!' she thought to herself, and she raced back to the common room to reply to her mother that yes, she would be coming home for Christmas.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Bye Ginny, bye Ana, bye Sophie! See you after Christmas!" Lara and Lizzie yelled as the three girls made their way towards the Hogwarts express with their luggage. They waved back, piling onto the train with the other students. Finding an empty compartment, they dumped their bags on the seats and opened the window, leaning out and waving goodbye to the others as the whistle blew and the train pulled the station. As the station changed into snow covered fields and mountains, the girls sat back in their seats. Ana and Sophie began reading Witch Weekly, giggling like usual. Ginny just sat back and watched the scenery go by.  
  
After about half an hour of sitting around doing nothing, she was getting pretty bored, and hungry, so she stood up and went in search of the food trolley. The compartments were all packed as she passed them. She ignored the happy noises inside them, feeling slightly deflated. She passed one where Ron was sitting with Hermione. A large, leather bound book was on Hermione's lap and she was reading quietly to herself. Ron was looking out of the window, his arm around Hermione's shoulders, fiddling with her hair. Ginny looked at them for a moment, before carrying on down the corridor.  
  
They were in love. It had been so easy for the both of them, falling in love with their best friend. Like it was some sort of fairytale or something. Ginny couldn't deny the fact that she was jealous. Not of Ron or Hermione, but of the fact that they were in love. Ginny wanted to be in love too. But then again, Ginny didn't even know who she wanted to be in love with. Harry, Thom or even, perhaps...Draco?  
  
She sighed. Life could be so complicated for a fifteen year old. Just then she bumped into somebody coming the other way down the corridor.  
  
"God, do you have to bump into me *every* time you're going somewhere?" Draco cried angrily as Ginny tried to balance herself using the wall.  
  
"No Malfoy, *I'm* just unlucky that it's *you* every time" Ginny replied, straightening her sweater.  
  
Draco looked at her disdainfully.  
  
"You really need to learn to *look*, Weasley. It might help you one of these days"  
  
Ginny sighed, exasperated. "And maybe *you* should learn some manners, like, for instance, calling people by their first names?"  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down as she placed one hand on her hip in a stance of defiance.  
  
"Me learn some manners? Well, if *I* learn some 'manners', why don't *you* learn not to be such a hypocrite?"  
  
Ginny opened her mouth to argue, but shut it again. He had a point there, she thought reluctantly. She called him Malfoy permanently. Suddenly, she had an idea. A pretty crazy one at that.  
  
"Alright," she replied. "From now on we will *both* call each other by our first names, even if we *really* don't feel like it. Deal?"  
  
Draco thought for a moment, his head cocked to one side, before he straightened it and nodding.  
  
"Deal. Is that okay for you, *Ginny*?" he said, putting extra emphasis on her name.  
  
"Yes *Draco*, it *is*" she replied, putting the same emphasis on his. She paused for a second, then,  
  
"I'm not shaking hands with you, you know"  
  
"Neither am I"  
  
And with that he pushed past her and carried on down the corridor. Ginny stared after him for a moment. Had she just made a deal with *Malfoy*? Ginny shook her head in disbelief. What was going on?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N Ah ha, done! Yes, what *is* going on? I always seem to end with some D/G interaction, don't I? In fact *two* bits of D/G interaction! Lots of Draco in there, and lots of Thom too. He's a bit of a mystery isn't he? Do you like Thom, or do you hate him, or are you not sure? Btw, this chapter is set in late November, because Charlie died at the end of October, in case anyone was wandering. And Ginny's going to meet Bill's gf! Who will she be? Even I don't have a clue!  
  
I got some more R/Hr in there too! They're like my little background couple. I won't have too much in there, but I'm having a bit.  
  
I'm listening to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack at the moment (I know, I'm such a dork). Oh well, I love the songs in there, they're so cool! Music always helps me write. Anyway, they were the closest CDs! The instrumental (no. 1) on the second CD is very good to write to.  
  
The mother ship has arrived back, by the way. No more house to myself. : ( Oh well, she's going to make me lovely curry, so I don't mind! That's not the only reason I love her of course. She's my mum!  
  
Anyhow, you know what comes next! R&R pleez. It would make me very happy!  
  
Thanks to my reviewers, you're all wonderful! 


	7. Mystery Girl

Things Change  
  
A/N Hello again. I haven't got much to say because I am mega tired and feely sleeeeeepy.  
  
(- _ -) zzzz  
  
Oh well. Here we go with chapter seven!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ginny and Ron sat in silence in the car on the way home, both looking out of the window at something different. Ron and Hermione had had an emotional goodbye, both promising to write to each other, whilst Ginny and her father just stood there looking the other way. You'd think Ron wouldn't be seeing her again for another five years from the way they'd been acting.  
  
Unlike her brother, who was undoubtedly thinking about Hermione, Ginny's mind was still back at Hogwarts with a certain three male students. Ginny sighed, tracing a line across the window with her finger. She was so confused. Harry was the boy she had always pined after, for as long as she had known him. Thom was a friend who, it seemed, could be something more. And Draco...she didn't know what Draco was. He was the bad boy, the rebel, the one that all the girls at school thought was hot apart from her. Of course, that had changed rapidly in the last few weeks. She couldn't deny that he *was* hot, because he definitely was. And then there was that strange half-truce they had made on the train...  
  
Boys were just too complicated, she decided. During the holidays she would try and think about them as little as possible.  
  
After a couple more hours in the car, they arrived back at the burrow. As they got out of the car, Mrs Weasley came rushing towards them, enveloping them both in a hug and kissing them on the cheek.  
  
"How are you, my dears? Oh, you look so thin! Are you eating enough?" she asked as she brought them into the warm, colourful kitchen. It smelled like sausages, and when Ginny looked there was indeed an enormous frying pan of about fifteen big, fat sausages on the stove.  
  
Ginny removed her scarf and gloves, putting them over the back of her chair. Her mother was bustling around the kitchen preparing hot chocolates for them. Ginny was just opening her mouth to speak when Ron started talking about Harry, Quidditch, and school. Ginny shut her mouth and lent back in her chair, watching. She murmured her thanks as her mother gave her her drink, sipping the hot brew and feeling the warmth spread through her body. Things were almost normal again at the burrow, in a sense. She was coming second again. But that was how it always was and she was used to it. She didn't mind.  
  
Fred and George appeared in the kitchen, followed by Percy, and soon everyone was sitting around the table. Ginny watched as her brother and parents talked. She was thankful that they, at least, were still alive, and she wouldn't spoil Charlie's memory by whining about coming second. She would just accept it and move on.  
  
As her mother set the table, Ginny realised that her mother had only put out eight plates, meaning she had either forgotten Bill was bringing his girlfriend, or she didn't know. Ginny was ready to bet on the latter.  
  
Thinking about Bill's girlfriend made her nervous. What if Bill's girlfriend didn't like her? What if she didn't like Bill's girlfriend? What if, (shock horror) her *mother* didn't like Bill's girlfriend? Ginny didn't want to think about *that*.  
  
"Mum, when's Bill getting here?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, in about five minutes I should think dear, although he did say he might be a little late. I can't imagine why" Mrs Weasley replied as she got out another frying pan and slipped some more sausages onto it, along with four eggs (A/N These frying pans are *big*!).  
  
'I think I can' Ginny thought to her self.  
  
"Oh, okay" she replied instead.  
  
Bill was a little late. Mrs Weasley was just putting five sausages and two eggs onto Ginny's plate when there was a popping noise and Bill appeared in the middle of the kitchen. There was a girl standing next to him. The whole family watched in shock as Bill and the girl dusted themselves off and stood up straight.  
  
Her hair was long, so blond it was almost white, and her eyes were large, a deep blue colour. She was tall and slender, almost as tall as Bill. Ginny recognised her. She was -  
  
"Fleur Delacour" the girl said, sticking out her hand for Mr and Mrs Weasley to shake. "It iz such a ple-zuur to meet you all at last"  
  
Mrs Weasley stayed silent for a moment, before recovering slightly from her shock and taking Fleur's outstretched hand and smiling.  
  
"So nice to meet you. I'm afraid I haven't got a place for you at the table; Bill didn't tell us you were coming"  
  
"I know" Fleur replied, looking at Bill and smiling. "We wanted it all to be a surprise"  
  
Mrs Weasley got out an extra plate and set it between Bill and Ginny whilst Mr Weasley conjured a chair and set it down by the plate. Fleur sat down gratefully. Her gaze fell on Ginny as Bill sat beside her.  
  
"Ah, *you* must be Jzzzinny. I 'ave been most eager to meet you"  
  
Ginny held out her hand and smiled. Fleur smiled back, (sincerely, Ginny noted with mild surprise) shaking her hand in welcome. Whilst the introductions carried on round the table, Bill greeted Ginny.  
  
"How are you?" he asked, enveloping her in a tight hug. His shirt smelled faintly of women's perfume. That was definitely new.  
  
"Fine," Ginny replied, sitting on the arm of Bill's chair. "School's been a bit hectic" ('way too many boys around' she thought ) "but it's all the same really. I got your letter, by the way"  
  
"Good. I thought -"  
  
But Ginny didn't get to find out what Bill thought because just then she had to move over to her place again, because the introductions had finished and dinner was underway. Her mother insisted on giving Fleur second, third and fourth portions of everything, adamant that Fleur was underfed.  
  
Dinner passed smoothly, and afterwards everyone went into the living room. It was almost like the old days, in a way. Fred and George were sitting on the floor by the fire, pouring over some Weasley's Wizard Wheezes order forms. Ron was sitting on the armchair with Quidditch for AllSorts (A/N No, that's not a spelling mistake). Her parents were sat on the sofa with Bill, talking. Only two things were different. One was that Fleur Delacour was sitting next to Bill, her hand enclosed in his. Second was that the spot Charlie would have filled was empty.  
  
~You've missed out number three~ whispered a voice in Ginny's head  
  
'No, I haven't' Ginny thought. 'I'm not really a part of this'  
  
~Are you sure?~ the voice whispered back.  
  
'I'm sure'  
  
And with that, Ginny retreated upstairs to her room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Ginny, pass the roast potatoes please"  
  
Ginny obediently passed Ron the bowl of potatoes and accepted the beef from Percy. It was Christmas day, and Mrs Weasley had just served Christmas dinner. The whole family (including Fleur) sat around the table, which was piled high with food. A magnificent turkey sat in the middle, surrounded by stuffing, cranberry sauce and ham.  
  
As usual the room was filled with chatter.  
  
"Dad, can I have the chipolatas?"  
  
"I was thinking about tattoos..."  
  
"Hey Percy, did you hear about that Hippogriff?"  
  
"Her hair fell off"  
  
"Bill Weasley, you are not getting a tattoo!"  
  
Ginny listened quietly to everyone as she ate. She didn't really feel like talking, so she watched instead. Fred and Percy were having a mildly civilised conversation, George was talking to her father, and Mrs Weasley, Fleur and Bill were talking about tattoos. It seemed like Bill wanted one, and Ginny was betting on Fleur agreeing. Her mother, however, wasn't so keen on the idea.  
  
"A horrible mark on your skin that'll be there forever if I know you!" she was saying, her hand resting on her wand. It was obvious she was resisting the urge to chop Bill's hair off right there and then.  
  
The rest of dinner was pretty uneventful, the talk remaining the same. Ginny eventually got drawn into a conversation about magical beasts by her father and Percy. Once everyone was full ("Are you sure dears?") they all cleared away the table and moved to the front room - all apart from Ginny, who decided to go into the garden. Sitting on the swing-seat (A/N I always imagine the Weasleys as having a swing-seat) in the early evening light, Ginny swung back and forth, gazing at her sneakers, but not really seeing them. She was thinking about Harry.  
  
'Do you still like him?' she asked herself silently. 'Is he still 'The-Boy- Who-Lived' to you? Or is he just your brother's best friend, like you're his best friend's little sister?'  
  
Her questions weren't answered, but at that moment something did happen. She heard the sound of wings, and looked up to see an owl swoop past her, breaking her out of her reverie. It circled the garden once before dropping a letter onto her lap and perching itself on the arm of the swing-seat. Ginny opened the envelope and pulling the letter out.  
  
//Hey Ginny!  
  
How are you? I'm fine, but it's pretty boring here at home. My parents are always going out, so I'm stuck here on my own most of the time. I've got my stepsister bugging me permanently of course. She's such a pain in the neck.  
  
Anyway, the real reason I sent this letter is to ask if you wanted to meet me in Hogsmeade on Friday, the 30th December. I've got the whole day to myself, so if you could I'd like to see you there. We can exchange Xmas gifts.  
  
Send Ravioli back with your reply  
  
Thom x//  
  
Ginny smiled. It was nice of Thom to send her letters. Mentally checking her calendar, (A/N I know it sounds dumb but I didn't know how else to put it) it looked like she was free on the 30th. She jumped off the swing seat (promising Ravioli she'd be back in a minute) and headed to the house.  
  
"Mum!" she called.  
  
"Yes?" Mrs Weasley's voice carried out from the front room. "What is it dear?"  
  
Ginny popped her head round the door.  
  
"Can I go to Hogsmeade with one of my friends on Friday?"  
  
Mrs Weasley, who was sitting on the couch, turned to Mr Weasley.  
  
"I should think so, don't you dear?"  
  
Mr Weasley nodded and smiled.  
  
"Of course"  
  
At that moment, Ginny heard the sound of somebody thundering down the stairs, and Ron appeared behind her. He had a letter in his hand.  
  
"Mum, Harry wants to know if me and Hermione can meet him in Hogsmeade on Friday. Is that okay?"  
  
"Well, that's splendid dear! Ginny wants to go in on the same day! Why doesn't Ginny go along with you?"  
  
"But mum -!"  
  
"Why -?"  
  
Both Ron and Ginny tried to protest at the same time, but Mrs Weasley shook her head.  
  
"Now, I'll have none of that. Ginny, you can't expect to go wandering around Hogsmeade on your own with criminals like Sirius Black on the lose"  
  
Ginny made a little 'umph' noise.  
  
"Secondly," Mrs Weasley continued. "Ron, you have a responsibility to look after your little sister"  
  
Ginny and Ron opened their mouths to object, but Mrs Weasley put her finger to her lips.  
  
"No arguments. Now, you both go and tell your friends that you can come see them"  
  
Ginny scowled and slunk away back to the garden, grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill from the hall as she did so.  
  
Ravioli twooted as Ginny sat back on the swing-seat. Hurriedly scribbling a reply to Thom, Ginny then tied the letter to the owl's leg and gave him an owl treat she had in her jean pocket. He chirped happily and spread his wings, flapping away over the garden wall.  
  
"I hope you don't mind saying hi to 'The Dream Team', Thom" Ginny whispered to herself as she watched the sun set behind the horizon. "Cause it might be difficult to ignore them on Friday"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N I'll try and carry on in a little while because I feel a bit down right now and not really in the mood to write at the mo. Have fun, R&R and all that.  
  
S.e.a 


	8. Kisses at Christmas

Things Change  
  
A/N Well, I said I'd try and carry on in a little while and I have. I actually had ideas about where this story was going, but I've got past them all and now I'm just blindly going where the plot bunnies haven't taken me yet.  
  
Oh, and this is important - Thom is quite a popular guy. Not big headed popular, just nice popular, cool popular, etc. You need to know that.  
  
I don't know if you *can* floo in 'The Three Broomsticks', but in this story you can, and I thought it'd be a bit stupid for people to floo in a fireplace right in the middle of the pub, so I've just invented one a little off to the side.  
  
Read and enjoy (you'd better!) ^_^  
  
Here we go.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Ginny dear, have you got the floo powder?"  
  
"Yes Mum" Ginny replied, holding up the little flower pot of green dust. "And I've got some with me so I can get back. Don't worry"  
  
Mrs Weasley smiled, ushering her towards the fireplace. Ron stood behind her. Both wore their school cloaks, the only things that could keep them relatively warm.  
  
"Now off you go dear, and make sure you wait for Ron"  
  
Ginny sighed. "Yes Mum, I will"  
  
With that she threw the floo powder into the fire. It roared green, and Ginny stepped into it, the flames tickling her hands.  
  
"The Three Broomsticks!" she shouted, and next minute the familiar feeling of being sucked down a giant plug-hole swept over her. She watched, squinting, as grates flew past, waiting, waiting...ah yes, The Three Broomsticks would be coming up anytime now...  
  
She stepped out of the fire into the warmth of the pub, brushing her cloak off as she did so. She had arrived by the smaller fireplace round near the back of the tavern, where less people went and it was easier to floo. She waited for a moment for Ron to appear, and he did so a few minutes later, his face sooty.  
  
"You've got dirt on your nose, you know"  
  
Ron scowled at her and said nothing. They walked round to the front of the pub, and he quickly spotted Harry and Hermione by a Christmas tree. Ginny looked around for Thom and spotted him by their usual table. She was about to wave when Ron took hold of her arm and started to drag her towards Harry and Hermione.  
  
"I can't see your girly mates Gin" Ron said, not noticing Ginny's protests as he sat her down at the table. "You'll just have to come and sit with us while you wait. Mum said I have to look after -"  
  
"Ron, I don't need looking after, and besides, my mate *is* here, see? He's sitting over there by the window!"  
  
Ron looked over to where she was pointing. He stopped for a second, his face confused, before looking at Ginny as if she were mad.  
  
"Gin, that's Thom Walker"  
  
Ginny sighed, exasperated.  
  
"I *know*"  
  
"But -"  
  
"But nothing, Ron" Ginny interrupted. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to go and see my friend. Oh, and hi Harry, Hermione"  
  
Ginny stood up and walked over to Thom's table. She could feel Harry, Hermione and Ron staring after her. It was probably a bit of a shock for them. What would little Ginny Weasley being doing with a guy like Thom Walker?  
  
"Hey Gin" Thom said, shuffling over so she could sit down. He hugged her in greeting. Ginny smiled and hugged him back.  
  
"Hi Thom, I missed you!"  
  
"Yeah, you too. How've you been?" Thom replied, handing her a butterbeer he must have ordered before she got there.  
  
"Hectic. My brother Bill brought home his new girlfriend - you'll never guess who!"  
  
Thom grinned. "Who says?"  
  
"Me"  
  
"Oh well, I'm doomed. Who is it?"  
  
"Fleur Delacour"  
  
Thom choked on his butterbeer. Ginny thumped his back vigorously, helping him get air back in his lungs. After he had finished nearly suffocating, Thom turned to Ginny, his eyebrows raised in surprise.  
  
"Fleur Delacour?" he said, still coughing slightly. "But I thought she was all 'high and mighty'?"  
  
Ginny shook her head. "She's not too bad actually. She looked a little apprehensive at the state of our house though"  
  
Thom grinned. "Don't worry. Those Beauxbatons lot are all the same. They thought the Ravenclaw dorms were 'ghastly', as they put it. Lovely, huh?"  
  
"Wonderful," Ginny replied. "She's sort of alright really though. She was talking about this present Bill got her - it was some bracelet or something - and they way they were looking at each other! They're so in love"  
  
"Speaking of presents," Thom said. "I've got something I wanted to give you"  
  
Ginny blushed. "Thom! You really shouldn't!"  
  
"It's Christmas! Well, it was Christmas, anyway. I got all my other friends presents"  
  
"Fine," Ginny answered as she pulled a paper bag out from under the table. "But I've got something for you too. Let me give you yours first"  
  
"Okay" Thom replied.  
  
Ginny handed him the bag, and he pulled out a small, brown, paper package. He prised open the wrapping, and two leather bracelets fell out onto the table. Both were a soft brown colour, and were made of little pieces of leather twisted together into braids, thin and elegant. One had the initial 'T' on it, and the other held the initial 'G'.  
  
"I know they're not much" Ginny said quickly, blushing with embarrassment. "But they mean a lot. They're friendship bracelets"  
  
Thom grinned at Ginny's discomfiture, slipping Ginny's onto her wrist and his onto his own.  
  
"Don't worry Gin. I think they're fantastic"  
  
Ginny blushed again, looking at the floor.  
  
"Really?" she asked.  
  
"Really. And now," Thom said, reaching under the table. "Here's your gift"  
  
He had a bag too. It was pretty big. Opening it, Ginny pulled out a box, long and thin, with a company brand name on it. Ginny recognised that brand name. It was -  
  
"Oh Thom, not Madam Malkins!" she cried as she opened the box. She gasped with astonishment. Inside was the most beautiful dress robe she had ever seen. It was silver, with a scooped collar and angel sleeves that she could tell would fall almost past her knees if she drew her arms up to her chest. There was a thin silver and white brocade round the collar, cuffs and hemline. It was almost like a real princess dress.  
  
"Thom..." Ginny breathed, her eyes wide in awe. "This is...amazing!"  
  
Thom grinned. "I hoped you'd look at it that way"  
  
Ginny was almost speechless. "But it must have been so expensive!"  
  
"It's the thought that counts, right?"  
  
Ginny giggled, her eyes still fixed on the amazing dress robes. "That's only for horrible gifts that your granny buys you"  
  
"It still counts for this anyway"  
  
Ginny sighed, touching the smooth material lovingly.  
  
"Is it real silk?" she asked, marvelling at the softness of the fabric.  
  
"Yep," Thom replied. He looked especially proud of himself. "I'm guessing you like it then?"  
  
"Like it?" Ginny asked. She turned to Thom. "I love it!"  
  
And with that she threw her arms around him. He looked surprised for a second, but then he hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her. Today was a wonderful day, Ginny thought contentedly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The start of term arrived, and Ginny trudged towards the Hogwarts express tiredly. She was pretty exhausted, not having had much sleep. She had been up playing wizards chess with Bill and watching Fred and George inventing new jokes.  
  
Hauling her trunk onto the train, Ginny watched as her mother said goodbye to Ron. She had avoided the whole long goodbye thing for a couple of years running now, but Ron always got it. Probably because of his adventures with Harry. She smiled and escaped onto the train. She dragged her trunk along the corridor, looking for an empty compartment. She had seen Thom sitting with all of his big Ravenclaw friends, and Ginny would've sat with him if she wasn't so shy. But she was, so she'd opted for sitting alone. She was just about ready to give up when she found one unoccupied compartment. Putting her trunk on the luggage rack, she sat down on the seat and exhaled. She leant her head back, closing her eyes for just one second...  
  
She was woken up by the sound of the door opening and closing. She opened her eyes, her brain registering that it was dark outside, bleak, depressing rain clouds threatening to let go off the rain they held. She lifted her head from the back of the seat and who else did she see, but Draco Malfoy and some Slytherin fourth year standing by the door, about to start making out by the look of things.  
  
Ginny cleared her throat and the two swung round.  
  
"Weasley!" Malfoy cried, his expression one of annoyance. He gestured for the girl to leave, practically pushing her out of the door in his irritation. "What are you doing here? Can't you see I'm busy?"  
  
Ginny grinned, glad to see his frustration.  
  
"Tut, tut" she said, wagging her finger at him. "Remember our deal? You call me Ginny and I call you Draco. We agreed"  
  
Draco almost looked as if he wanted to kill her, but he forced his face into a smirk.  
  
"I remember *Ginny*" he replied, stressing her name.  
  
"Good boy. I wasn't sure you would" Ginny said, enjoying patronising him. He scowled at her.  
  
"Get out Ginny. I want to use this carriage. It's the only empty one on the whole train, apart from the one the 'dream team' are in. You can go bug them"  
  
Now it was Ginny's turn to scowl. She leant back, her arms crossed. She clearly wasn't leaving.  
  
"Ginny..." Draco growled.  
  
"No"  
  
He threw his arms in the air, exasperated.  
  
"Why not?" he whined, almost sounding like a little kid.  
  
"Because, Draco," Ginny retorted, glaring at him. "I was here first"  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "So?"  
  
"So I want to stay here. You can go make out with that girl somewhere else"  
  
Draco glowered at her for a moment, but suddenly his glare turned into a smirk, and he moved towards her, sitting on the seat beside her. He now wore his usual sneer, and the dim light of the storm clouds sent shadows over his face.  
  
"Who says," he whispered as he leant closer. "That I have to make out with *her* in this carriage?"  
  
Ginny stared at him, her face nervous. He leant closer. She backed up against the wall of the compartment, now facing him. He put his hand on one side of her, preventing her from getting off the seat.  
  
"Uh, Draco -" she started to say, but in one fluid motion he had leant forward and silenced her with his own lips. Ginny's eyes went wide, and she leant against the wall, her back pressing against it hard, waving her arms in an effort to break free.  
  
"Mmuuph!" she tried to say, as Draco deepened the kiss. "Mmuupph mmph!"  
  
Draco leant back, breaking the kiss and frowning.  
  
"If you're going to make stupid noises all day this is never going to work" he said, and before Ginny could say another word, he'd started to kiss her again. This time, however, as Draco intensified the kiss, she suddenly felt like an electric shock had run down her spine. A nice electric shock that felt strangely tempting, like maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to just...go with the flow, so to speak. She stopped struggling against him, trying to work out what was going on. Shyly, she kissed him back softly. Draco responded, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her waist. Before Ginny realised what she was doing, she tentatively reached up a hand and ran it through his hair, feeling the silky locks slip through her fingers. She lifted up her other arm and draped it around his neck, drawing him to her. She had never kissed like this before. Actually, scratch that, she'd never kissed before full stop. (A/N I guess that's period if you're American, huh?)  
  
Ginny closed her eyes with satisfaction, moaning softly as Draco trailed one of his long fingers down her back, causing her to shiver in the thin material of her shirt. She played with the hair at the nape of his neck, running her fingers through the smooth tresses. This was like nothing she'd ever dreamed of...  
  
A sudden rap on the door made Ginny and Draco break apart, both flinging themselves to opposite ends of the seat. The fourth year Slytherin girl stood there, looking slightly angry. Draco sighed and stood up. He glanced briefly at Ginny, who was unable to read his look, before walking to the door, opening it and stepping out into the corridor. His and the girl's voices sounded muffled as they talked, or rather, argued, outside the door, and got steadily more distant until she couldn't hear them anymore. They must have left.  
  
Ginny exhaled, bewildered. What the hell had just happened? Being taken advantage of by Malfoy hadn't exactly been on her top ten list of things to do that day. She shivered as she thought of what had just happened, feeling slightly sick. Did she feel nauseous because she hated the thought of what she had just done? Or was it simply the fact that she wanted to do it again, and he wasn't here? Neither option was nice, but the former looked better in her eyes. She snuggled down into the seat, which was still warm from where he'd been sitting. Mmmm...  
  
'Wait a minute!' Ginny thought, sitting bolt upright again and edging over to the other side of the seat. 'Oh, for goodness sake! I can't even sit on my seat without thinking about...that'  
  
She sighed, annoyed. Malfoy always messed things up. Now she'd been thinking about *him* more than Thom and Harry! Damn him!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N Aa ha ha! The Draco/Ginny action has arrived (even though it was a little short)! Does it sound okay? I hope so. Anyways, thanks for all my reviews - I love getting reviews! This chapter took longer than usual...well, actually, it only took a while to *update* it. I've had it written for ages. I haven't been on the internet for a loooong time is all!  
  
Thanks for reading my fic ^_^  
  
Pleez R&R,  
  
S.e.a 


	9. Closer for Comfort

Things Change  
  
A/N THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! You have to go back and read chapter one, because I have added something to the beginning and made some subtle but IMPORTANT change all the way through, which are, as I said, extremely IMPORTANT to the story line - oh, and it's now more interesting! And from now on all the chapters have names.  
  
Well, chapter nine is here! Happiness! Uggh, what is *with* me lately? I keep missing out one of the 'p's in happy'. Oh well.  
  
I'm in a continental mood because I've just had Russian; which means many continental things may happen in this chapter. The plot bunnies have finally given me a valuable idea, which is also good. #_#  
  
Anyways, thanks for all my reviews - more shout outs today! I'm glad everyone liked the D/G action, I was hoping it wasn't too sudden or stupid or whatever. Comments on that would be nice. That's just reminded me; no one told me what they thought of Professor Trelawney! I was really hoping for some feedback on her, about whether or not she was written okay. Pleez tell me your thoughts!  
  
And now, on with the story!  
  
p.s. I may mention pink sneakers (You know, shoes) a couple of times, as I have just acquired some, and I'm MAD about them!  
  
Btw, Nalia is watching me write right now - it's quite odd. Nah, she's just gone mental, that's all. Nalia is registered by the way - check out her fics! But finish reading mine first! (Ah ha, cheep propaganda for a friend - I'm very nice ^_^)  
  
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Ginny was *not* in a good mood, and even the floating candles and warm atmosphere of the great hall wasn't helping. She leant her chin on her hand glumly, watching the other students as they got up to date with each other and the news they had missed over Christmas. The others had already said hi, leaving her slightly removed from the conversation, as usual. But Ginny didn't really care. Her life was too...odd right now for her to care.  
  
She watched as Dumbledore rose from his seat and the hall became quiet. He smiled round at everyone and began his usual speech about...whatever he was talking about.  
  
"Welcome students, both those of you who were here yesterday and the ones who have just joined us. I trust you have all had a good Christmas"  
  
He paused, looking down at the Gryffindor table with the usual sparkle in his eyes. Probably seeking out Harry, who was bound to have had an adventure over the holiday.  
  
"I know all of you are eager to begin work" (another twinkle in the eyes) "but for now, we will do something more enjoyable. Eat!"  
  
The plates filled just as Dumbledore finished his speech, and students rushed to load their plates (and their bellies) with the house-elves' splendid food. Ginny just picked at the piece of chicken and the few chips she had put on her own dish, stabbing her fork around on the plate and spearing a couple of fries in the process. Her appetite, which an hour ago had been considerably large, had dwindled to practically nothing. All because of that damned Draco Malfoy.  
  
'Stop thinking about him, silly girl!' she scolded herself silently. 'You'll go crazy at this rate! Anyway, it was just one kiss, and he only kissed you because you were *there*, not because he wanted to kiss *you*! Anyway, you shouldn't care!'  
  
Ginny scowled, trying to get all thoughts of Draco out of her mind. She was feeling confused, frustrated and most of all, tired - which didn't help the situation an awful lot. Deciding to go straight to bed as soon as she could - and pushing all thoughts of seeing Thom out of her mind - she went straight to the dormitory as soon as the rest of the Gryffindor house had risen from the table. Everyone else stayed downstairs in the common room, as she had counted on them doing if she wanted some time alone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ginny tossed and turned later that night, gazing at the dark red canopy above her. With one arm under her pillow and the other hand fiddling with the sleeve of her nightgown she desperately tried to get back to sleep, but to no avail. She sighed, looking around her to see if anyone else was awake. Seeing she was the only one, she quietly got out of bed, grabbing her dressing gown and pink sneakers and making her way down to the common room, where she turned on one of the lamps and sat on the window seat. She gazed out at the grounds for a while, staring into space, until she noticed a shape. It was a boy, and she was sure recognised him...  
  
She threw open the window to get a better look. Leaning out, she saw him sit under a willow tree near the lake, with what looked like a book in his hand.  
  
Making a note of which willow tree it was, she threw on her sneakers straight away, turned off the lamp and made her way through the portrait hole, walking down the corridor as fast as she could without making any noise, trying to evade capture. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough.  
  
Creeping down a flight of stairs (ones that usually led to the entrance hall), she saw Mrs Norris patrolling the steps. Swearing under her breath, Ginny pressed herself into the shadows in a hopeless effort not to be noticed. She held her breath, but then, there was a familiar tickling in her nose...  
  
'Great,' she thought. 'I'm going to sneeze'  
  
She tried to hold it in, pinching her nose and holding her breath, and for a moment it looked like it might be working.  
  
But just as Mrs Norris slunk past her, the tickling sensation got too much for Ginny and she let out an almightily sneeze.  
  
"ACHOOOO!"  
  
The cat's head swung round, her yellow eyes glowing in the faint moonlight, and she spotted Ginny in the shadows. The yellow cat meowed for Filch, all the while watching Ginny as she tried to move away. Ginny sincerely wanted to hurt that stupid fat cat (A/N that was really painful to say; I love cats!), with her horrible yellow eyes and horrible yellow fur and...Ugh!  
  
At that moment, she heard Filch muttering to himself, calling Mrs Norris ("Where are they my pet, who is it?"), and his footsteps echoing through the corridor. He was obviously coming round the corner. Ginny grimaced, cursing softly as she sprinted down the last few steps and away from Filch as fast as she could, the light from his lantern slowly following her. She jumped the final three stairs, skidding across the entrance hall, the rubbery soles of her shoes squeaking as they hit the polished floor, and she flung open the heavy oak doors, tearing into the shadowy grounds.  
  
Looking around for a moment, she spotted the boy sitting under the tree and ran towards him. He looked up at the sound and upon seeing her, he stood up.  
  
"Thom!" she half-shouted, careful not to make too much noise. She waved energetically and he waved back, looking calm. He obviously didn't realise who was following her.  
  
"Filch!" she cried, stumbling over the grass towards him and leaning against the tree with one hand, the other at her chest as she tried to catch her breath. "Filch is coming!"  
  
Thom's face turned serious, and he tugged on her sleeve.  
  
"Hide over there, behind the trees!" he whispered, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the Forbidden Forest. Tearing across the grounds (both careful to stay in the shadows of course), they got to the edge of the forest just in time, hiding behind one of the tall dark trees. Filch passed them a few moments later, a lamp in his hand as he searched the grounds. Mrs Norris walked beside him, and they held their breath as she passed, hoping she wouldn't smell them, but she didn't even look their way.  
  
Ginny and Thom let out a collective breath as Filch disappeared from of sight, both leaning against the trees, their faces lit by the moon, which was full. They stayed silent for a moment, until Ginny, reflecting on the incident, started to giggle. Just a small giggle at first, as she looked sideways at Thom to see if he was laughing. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to stop the laughter from escaping, but it was too much, and within seconds she fell about laughing, clutching her stomach. Thom grinned and started to laugh too, until both were in hysterics.  
  
"It...It's not even...funny!" Ginny managed to say between giggles, and Thom nodded, almost crying with laughter himself.  
  
"No, no...we...we have to be serious now" Ginny said, trying to keep her face straight as she rose from her position of being bent double.  
  
In that moment she found herself almost level with Thom's eyes. Suddenly, the situation changed. Both of them stopped laughing immediately, aware of just how close their bodies were for the first time. The tension between them seemed to crackle in the air, and Ginny found herself gazing into Thom's eyes, and he her. Slowly, Thom moved closer, placing one hand lightly on her waist, the other tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. Ginny stood transfixed, not moving, all the earlier thoughts of Draco that had been crowding her mind gone, as if they had never been. Their lips drew close, closer, and closer still...  
  
"Hello?" thundered a voice from outside the trees.  
  
Thom and Ginny jumped apart, leaping behind the nearest tree. They could see the light from a lantern coming from the outskirts of the forest, just out of range from where they stood.  
  
"Hello?" yelled the voice again, and Ginny recognised that it was Hagrid. It looked like Thom had as well, because Ginny felt him relax beside her. As long as they didn't make a noise, Hagrid would probably leave them alone.  
  
They stayed still for a few moments longer, until they heard the distinct sound of Hagrid moving away over the grass. Peeping out from behind the tree, Ginny saw that he had indeed gone.  
  
"We, uh, we can come out now Thom" Ginny said, looking at the ground and feeling slightly awkward.  
  
Thom stepped out from behind the tree, looking equally uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, um...shall we get back to our dorms?" he asked.  
  
Ginny nodded, and the two of them headed back across the grounds to the castle, the two of them surrounded by an uncomfortable silence until they separated in the halls, although as Ginny said goodbye, she thought she saw Thom send her a smile.  
  
Heading through the portrait hole, Ginny thought about the little moment back in the forest, and felt her heart flutter.  
  
'Does Thom *like* me?' she asked herself as she walked up the stairs to the dormitory, climbing into bed as quietly as she could. She felt thoroughly confused, and as the moonlight filtered in through the curtains, she wondered if her life would ever straighten itself out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N I apologise profusely for that. In short, it was one of my crapest chapters yet. It's more like a bridge between chapters than anything else. Also possibly one of the shortest chapters I've ever written, and as I aid before, *definitely* not one of my best either. Oh well, I'll just blame it on the writer's block that has been plaguing me this past week. I wrote anything, alright?  
  
::Author cries into handkerchief, deeply distressed at the lack of good writing she sees before her::  
  
Well, maybe it's not *that* bad. Anyways, more shout-outs this chapter (I don't get enough reviews to do them every chapter *hint hint*. Nah, just kidding) so look out or those.  
  
Anyways, see ya around,  
  
R&R!  
  
Luv, S.e.a  
  
Okeanos - Thanks for one of the shortest reviews in history! Anyways, you love Lara don't you? Oh well, no surprises there! And no, 'it' is not Awais! And it's all fine about town. See ya soon!  
  
Scarlett - I like checking out the stories of people who review me, so reading your fic was no problem. Thanks for your congrats on the funeral scene (I was quite proud of it) and I thought it might be cool to have the presence of another guy in there. He'll play a big part!  
  
cashew - Poor you, with your hectic life! Anything bad?  
  
Anyways, I'm really glad you like Thom! He's one of my better creations, and I thought I'd stick him in there as someone to complicate everything. He's a bit of a smoothy, isn't he?  
  
And, yes, I would mucho like to know what all your American holidays are! They confuse me terribly sometimes! And it's SO cool that you love Moulin Rouge too! I'm totally in love with Ewan too (his voice is GORGEOUS!) and I listen to it a LOT more than I should too i.e. when I write. I love El Tango de Roxanne as well, but my mate Alistair thinks it's hilarious because of the Narcoleptic Argentinean's voice! Humph! Anyways, I love 'Your Song' as well (it's great!) and I like the single remix thing of 'One Day I'll Fly Away' on the second disc. It's one of the only ones I can sing properly! 'Hindi Sad Diamonds', 'Lady Marmalade' and 'Elephant Love Medley' are brill too!  
  
Oh, and you're totally forgiven about missing three chapters! No worries!  
  
~*~  
  
Now go and be good readers and please review! 


	10. Grief Returned

Things Change  
  
A/N ah ha, chapter ten is here! This has all taken ages lately (It's the P's fault cause of all the homework they give us - i.e. too much) so I'm sorry about that, but not much I can do (unfortunately). Anyways, this chapter has been 'planned', so to speak, so it will probably be a lot more organised than previous ones. Now, I haven't got much to say (I'm too busy thinking about going to see '2Fast 2Furious'. Yey!) so, on with the story!  
  
Luv yaz all!  
  
p.s. ~ one dashy thing is like, a thought or voice or something that *is* Ginny thinking, but *not* her thinking at the same time. Like a voice in her head.  
  
Anyways, bye bye!  
  
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Ginny entered the great hall with the others the next morning, keeping her head down as she passed the Ravenclaw table, whilst trying not to look at the Slytherins or where Harry was sitting. She didn't want *him* to complicate things even more. Thankfully for her the others didn't notice her strange behaviour; Ginny didn't feel like being interrogated by them today.  
  
Seating herself down at the table, she watched as her 'friends' began to eat and talk. She was getting more and more removed from them these days, she thought fleetingly as she tucked into her own breakfast. But she didn't mind. At least she had...  
  
Ginny's thoughts stopped there. She had been about to say Thom. 'But', she thought as she munched on some cereal, 'Did she really have him anymore?'  
  
As far as she was concerned, the night before had changed everything. Thom had almost kissed her, for goodness sake! Sure, she thought Thom was great and he was one her friends - that would never change - but the fact that he...that he might...  
  
"Ginny"  
  
She was broken out of her reverie by somebody waving their hand in front of her face. She had been so absorbed in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed someone calling her name. She looked up, searching for the owner of her hand, and found herself looking into the face of Harry Potter.  
  
"Gin, can you pass me the sausages please?" he asked, his tone slightly aggravated. He'd probably been trying to get her attention for a while. Ginny waited for the familiar feeling of being completely dumbstruck to strike, but to her utter surprise (and by the look of things, Harry's as well), she found herself saying "Sure", and handing him the plate. She realised what she'd done almost straight away, and blushed, looking down. Harry's mouth was agape, as was Ron's. Hermione, who was sitting next to them, just smiled and winked, almost too quickly for Ginny to see, before turning back to Ron and nudging him affectionately. Both boys stopped gorping and looked away, going back to their own breakfast.  
  
Ginny looked at the table, not daring to even *glance* upwards in case she met Harry's gaze.  
  
"Wow..." she murmured softly to herself. She felt like she was in shock. She had never spoken to Harry so clearly before, being too shy and overcome to do so, but now...she had spoken to him so clearly...  
  
Suddenly, the noise in the great hall quietened down, and Ginny looked round to see what was happening. Every face in the hall was turned to Dumbledore, who had stood up at the High Table and rapped on his goblet with a golden spoon.  
  
At once, Ginny felt her stomach turn. Dumbledore's eyes didn't hold their usual sparkle, but seemed rather more grim. His face was unsmiling as waited for everyone to quieten down, and when he began to talk his voice was grave.  
  
"Students," he said, looking round at them all. He paused for a second, looking through the crowd, and for a moment Ginny thought he caught her own gaze. "I'm afraid the other professors and I have some rather grave news. It seems that Lord Voldemort has returned in full. There has been another attack"  
  
Ginny felt as if her stomach had turned to ice, as the students broke out into terrified, frantic murmurings. Dumbledore raised his hand for silence.  
  
"I will not lie to you all. There were no survivors. It seems that the attack took place in South Africa, and I'm afraid that some students have lost family members because of this. Those who have been affected have been notified, and I ask that you do not question them about it. Just support them in their grief and let them know that you are there for them"  
  
Ginny felt a slight sense of relief come over her as the students began to talk again, the chatter panicky and confused, and although Ginny felt worried and concerned, she was thankful it wasn't Bill getting hurt. She was thankful he wasn't getting hurt like Charlie...  
  
Suddenly, and without warning, Ginny felt all the grief and confusion and misery from Charlie's death wash over her, as if it had never quietened. She felt like the room was spinning, the air becoming hot, burning her throat, suffocating her, drowning her...  
  
Almost in a daze, she got up from the table as hurriedly as she could, forgetting all her things and nearly tripping over the bench before rushing out of the great hall, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, Thom looked up as she ran out. Seeing her in such distress, he was about to get up, but before he could, he saw Malfoy leave the hall out of the corner of his eye. It distracted him for a second, and pausing, he decided to leave Ginny alone. They still needed to talk about the night before - and she would probably want to be alone anyway, he reasoned to himself, before he carried on with his breakfast.  
  
What Thom didn't know was that at that moment, Draco Malfoy was doing what he should have been -following Ginny.  
  
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Ginny ran in any direction, through the next corridor that came along, not knowing where she was going and not really caring either. She ran for what felt like forever, until she stopped, out of breath and crying, and looked around to find she didn't have a clue where she was. She leant against the wall, out of breath, looking around to try and find out where she was. The realization that she didn't know where she was had calmed her down a bit, and she glanced around, trying to decide which way to go. There were two corridors in front of her, and she was about to take the right one, when a voice behind her made her jump.  
  
"I wouldn't go that way if *I* were a little Gryffindor wanting to get out of the dungeons, Ginny"  
  
She turned round, her expression irritated, to see Malfoy standing a yard behind her, his usual sneer on his face.  
  
"What the hell are you *doing * here Malfoy?!" she cried, practically stamping her foot on the stone in her frustration. "Why did you have to *follow* me?! My day's bad enough already, and you've now tailed behind me down here *just* to have a dig at me I suppose, and -"  
  
She was cut short by Malfoy taking one long stride across the corridor and clamping his hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock, but then it turned to anger, and she started to struggle free. Malfoy just laughed, his strong arms keeping her restrained.  
  
"Don't bother Ginny, you're not strong enough anyway. Besides, I only came down here to find out why you ran out of the great hall in such a flap after Dumbledore said that crappy speech about You-Know-Who -"  
  
SMACK!  
  
Upon hearing Draco call Dumbledore's speech 'crappy', Ginny had wrenched herself free from his grasp and drew her hand back, striking him hard across the face. Instantly Ginny put her hands to her mouth in astonishment, her eyes wide as a red mark appeared across Draco's cheek. He just stood there in shock, his hand held to the side of his face.  
  
"Oh..." Ginny breathed softly, her eyes transfixed by the red blot slowly spreading over his face. "Oh dear..."  
  
Draco looked at her for a second, shaken, but then his face turned angry. Slowly, he advanced towards her, his eyes narrowed into malicious slits, his blond brows twisting into a scowl. Ginny darted backwards, trying to evade his grasp, but before she could go very far, she backed into a wall and his hands had grabbed her wrists, holding them tightly up to her chest. Ginny looked at him with large startled eyes.  
  
"You should really learn to be more careful Ginny..." he said, his voice a deathly whisper. "You never know what carelessness can do..."  
  
His face came closer to hers as he spoke, their noses nearly touching. Ginny felt captivated by his eyes, the anger swirling in their grey depths scaring her, yet at the same time looking almost...enchanting, somehow. Their faces got closer, closer...  
  
And then he was leaning forwards and his lips were pressed against her own, his tongue making an unexpected intrusion into her mouth as she stood still in shock. She had expected to be hit, perhaps just threatened, but this was *certainly* not something she would take as the normal way of getting revenge.  
  
He still held her wrist pressed against her chest, her back leaning uncomfortably into the wall as he pushed into her, supporting himself on her body, but after the split second shock, Ginny knew what was coming next and it didn't matter. She was right. The memorable feeling of electricity running down her spine overtook Ginny completely as she closed her eyes, and she found herself responding to his kiss, going on tiptoes and pressing her own body up against his in an attempt to get closer to him. Slowly, she could feel Draco's hold on her wrists getting weaker, and soon she gently removed them from his grip, snaking them up across his chest and around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Ginny shivered as he ran a hand around her waistline, his fingers brushing the skin between her skirt and blouse and sending a rush of excitement through her whole body. He held her closer to him, kissing her as if she was about to slip through his fingers, running his hands up and down her back hungrily. Ginny lost herself willingly in the feeling of passion, all thoughts on the young man kissing her like no other ever had. And all because of something he said...something about You-Know-Who and...  
  
~Charlie...~  
  
Ginny opened her eyes and pushed against Draco's chest abruptly and without warning, breaking the kiss and sending him off balance, almost flinging him into the wall in her rush to stop him touching her. She put her hands to her face, almost in self-disgust, as Draco looked across at her with a glare of confusion.  
  
"What the hell did you do *that* for?" he asked accusingly, watching as she started to pace across the corridor, her eyes hidden by her hand. She stayed silent for a moment, and, guessing that she wasn't going to reply, he asked again.  
  
"Ginny? What's going on? Why the hell *did* you do that?" he persisted. She stayed silent again, as if she hadn't heard what he said. He exhaled, annoyed. "Are you going to answer me or not?"  
  
Yet it was still like she hadn't heard him, and this time he took two long strides across to her and grabbed hold of her shoulders, shaking her forcefully.  
  
"Ginny, what's going on? Why did you just push me, for heaven's sake?!"  
  
His tone was not kind, more brutal, and Ginny, looking into his icy grey eyes with her own soft brown ones (A/N I always though Ginny had green eyes, but she's got brown in the books, so...), did the one thing that he had least expected. She burst into tears.  
  
For all the training young Malfoys went through, in etiquette and such, one thing they would always deal with badly was a girl crying her eyes out, especially if it was for an unknown reason. Draco watched as salty tears flowed down Ginny's rosy cheeks and her small body shook with sobs. It seemed as though his arms were the only things that held her up.  
  
"Stop it" he said harshly, shaking her again, causing Ginny to collapse into more sobs. "Stop being so stupid!"  
  
He shook her once more, as if he wanted to knock some sense into her, but this time, Ginny thrust out her hands and pushed them against his chest for the second time in five minutes, dislodging his hold on her shoulders as she turned from him. She made to run, but stopped suddenly, and he could see her shoulders drop as she put one shaking hand to her forehead, hiding her eyes as she turned back to him.  
  
"He's dead," she said, her voice trembling as she walked slowly back towards him. "He's dead, and now he's being joined by others. And the worst thing is, I can't stop it from happening. I can't stop them from dieing just like he did"  
  
And with that her legs gave way under her, and she crumpled to the floor, the tears flowing fast as she rocked back and forwards on the stone, her hands curled up under her chin in an act of self-comfort. Draco watched this, wondering briefly what he should do And what he finally did decide on went against every human instinct he had except guilt. But Malfoys were not raised to feel guilty, and he was no exception. So Draco walked past her, as she sat on the floor, her sobs filling the quiet of the corridor, and left her there, his eyes fixed ahead as he went.  
  
The only thing remaining was Ginny, with the echoes of his retreating footsteps for company  
  
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A/N So, how was that? I would *definitely* say that that was better than my last chapter (transition ones suck badly! At least, mine do!). Anyways, I've been having an internal battle about whether I should end this here on not, but I decided that the "potency" of the ending wouldn't be quite as effective if I carried on straight away. Well, I do have to say that I'm quite proud of this ending anyway, but I just have one to thing to say - what sort of a person *is* Draco?!?!?! Is he even a person? Some of you might be like, "Well, why didn't you make him nice to her then, make him comfort her?". The truth is, I was going to have him do that, but I just read the end of the last book again (5 DAYS TIL OoP!) and I thought, "God what a creep!". He is *horrible* in that! And I thought, well, there's no point in making him OOC, cuz then that defeats the whole object of *him*. Draco is to nice what bunnies are to sharp pointy teeth (unless you watch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail - killer bunny!)  
  
Btw, I JUST GOT EVANESCENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I officially don't have to borrow it off all my mates anymore! I love that band! I really like 'Going Under', 'Everybody's Fool' and 'My Immortal'. =D  
  
I'm a happy non-pointy-toothed bunny!  
  
Anyways, please R&R, it means a lot, yadda yadda yadda. =D  
  
Luv,  
  
S.e.a 


	11. New Love

Things Change  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!  
  
A/N Howdy dudes, hows everyone feeling today? As you can probably tell, I'm in a good mood. I don't know why, seeing as I have 3 WEEKS of school left! Something must die! Well, not literally anyway.  
  
Anyways, this is going really well, so I'm very happy. I have the ending roughly planned in my head, and the plots changed about a billion times since I started writing, but thanks to cashew (thanks for the ideas! ;) who gave me some ideas about what to do. They helped! The only thing is ff.net kept messing up my reviews, so I didn't get that one about the plot until I checked my e-mail) I've got it pretty much sorted out now, and it *will* stay that way! I hope.  
  
This chapter will be a bit longer (I hope) and we'll see some *major* plot development (Happy days!). Anyways, here we go. Chapter eleven.  
  
By the way, chapter ten was NOT the last chapter (obviously!) so I'm sorry if I gave that impression to anyone. Anyways, here we go.  
  
A/N2 Okay, I'm just going to say that I apologise *profusely* for not updating sooner. As I've said before, I had a major case of writers block, so I just couldn't get the story out without absolutely *hating* the end result! Anyways, that's over now (hopefully)!  
  
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Ginny kept her head down as she followed the flood of people streaming into the entrance hall from dinner, trying to avoid the Slytherins as they jostled past her. She glanced around for the now familiar blond hair and pale complexion, but it was no where near. She let out a breath of relief, pulling her bag over her shoulder and turning to follow the other Gryffindors as they made their way up the stairs.  
  
As she grew closer to the steps, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rising, as if someone was watching her. She put a hand to the back of neck, looking around, but seeing nobody she ignored it, and carried on towards the steps. She was about to put her foot on the first stair when a hand roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her into an alcove nearby. She opened her mouth to scream, but the other hand flew down over her mouth, stopping her. Her eyes widened as she tried to struggle, but the arm around her stomach stopped her from getting free. The person who held her whispered, "Shh!" in her ear, waiting as a lessening number of students streamed past. Eventually there were only a couple of people walking past, and then within a few minutes the entrance hall was deserted.  
  
Still holding onto her, the person began to edge out into the hall, and Ginny stiffened, anticipating an attack of some sort, but to her surprise the person gently let go off her waist, and turned her round.  
  
"Thom! Oh my god, you *frightened* me!"  
  
He smiled apologetically, shrugging and holding his hands up.  
  
"Sorry Gin, really I am. It's just that...well; I thought that maybe you wouldn't want to talk to me if I didn't do that. Because of, um..."  
  
He trailed off. Ginny smiled and shrugged, slightly embarrassed, the memory of the forest encounter fresh in her mind.  
  
"That's okay. Besides, I still want to talk to you. You're my mate, right?"  
  
Thom paused, looking at the floor before replying.  
  
"Well, actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Um, could we go to...the library, maybe?"  
  
"Yeah, sure" Ginny said, shrugging. They set off up the stairs in silence, both watching their feet as they moved along the corridor, the quiet almost, but not quite, uncomfortable.  
  
At last they reached the library, and both Thom and Ginny quietly slid through into the hushed atmosphere, Ginny following Thom down the rows of books. He seemed to know where he was going, and so Ginny didn't really focus on their path until Thom stopped in a little niche containing three armchairs and a small maroon pouffe, surrounded by high bookshelves crammed with old volumes.  
  
"Um, maybe we could talk here? It's kinda...private" Thom said, gesturing to the armchairs. Ginny smiled and nodded, sitting down on one of them and absently smoothing the front of her skirt. Thom sat down too.  
  
"Well...," he said, looking at the floor as he trailed off. This was one of the rare times Ginny had really seen him uncomfortable. He looked like he didn't know what to say. Shyly, Ginny gave him an encouraging smile, and this seemed to help. He smiled up, and he seemed determined to say something this time.  
  
"What it is, Gin, is that, well, since that time in the forest...,"  
  
He paused, before taking a deep breath and carry on.  
  
"Icantstopthinkingaboutyou"  
  
Ginny paused, slightly bewildered by Thom's sentence - or should she say 'word'? Finally, she replied, "Pardon?"  
  
"I can't stop thinking about you" Thom repeated, the words seeming to come easier this time. He looked up at Ginny, his face anxious, but when he saw Ginny's face, he broke into a grin. She was smiling dazedly at him, a slight blush blooming on her cheeks, her eyes looking at him shyly from under long lashes. Then, bashfully, she reached out a hand to him, and he took it, creamy-white and slender fingers meeting long, elegant ones. They looked at each other, and then, slowly, they both stood up. Thom pulled Ginny closer to him, placing a hand round her waist and sliding the other one up her arm from her hand to rest at the nape of her neck, stroking it under the fiery red hair.  
  
"Do you know what I mean?" he asked softly.  
  
Ginny nodded, her arms coming to rest on his shoulders, straight and solid, with her hands clasped. (A/N Like Satine in Moulin Rouge when her and Christian kiss - you know, the one on the video cover).  
  
"It means that," he said, his face getting closer to hers. She vaguely noticed the way his thick black hair fell over his forehead in untidy curls, making him more beautiful than ever. He leant forward again, and Ginny could feel a tiny exhalation of breath on her lips as he said his next words. "I love you..."  
  
Their lips touched, and the world exploded around her.  
  
'This must be right...' she thought as they sank into an armchair, holding each other blissfully. 'It has to be right...  
  
Little did she know that two silver eyes were watching her at that very moment, calm annoyance sparkling in their depths.  
  
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Ginny felt like she was floating all the way to her lesson after lunch, her eyes staring dreamily into space as she went up the stairs to the North Tower. She was still reeling from her 'encounter' in the library.  
  
Thom and Ginny had stayed in the library until the bell had rung (A/N Ah ha! OoP confirms that they have a bell!). Mostly they had been making out, but in between Thom had asked her if she wanted to come to a party that some friends of his were holding at the weekend. Ginny had hastily agreed, having the 'strange' desire to show off her new boyfriend to the world. Well, maybe not the world, but the Hogwarts population at least. Because Thom had asked her out. She now officially had a boyfriend. Fleetingly a thought of Draco passed through her mind, accompanied by a shadow of guilt. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the feeling. She wasn't going to talk to Draco again - and besides, she wasn't even going out with Thom when all that stuff had happened, so there was no reason for her to feel guilty.  
  
Brushing all thoughts of Draco from her mind, she stopped outside the trap door to Professor Trelawney's tower, seeing that most of the class were already there. They waited a few more minutes until everyone had joined them, and then the trap door opened and the silvery ladder fell into their midst. Ginny was the last to climb up and emerge into the sweltering room, taking her usual place at her table with the others. They had become a lot more removed lately, but Ginny didn't really seem to notice these days, and so it didn't bother her.  
  
The packets of Tarot cards lay on the table as usual, and Ginny picked hers up, took them out and absently began to shuffle them. She had become quite fond of this particular form of divining after a while, glad that for once Professor Trelawney didn't seem to have much power over their future. The cards did their own thing.  
  
The sound of tinkling bangles and earrings alerted the class to Professor Trelawney's presence as she drifted over from the fire, her huge glasses magnifying her eyes as usual. She had recovered quite well from her sacking by Umbridge last year, and was now almost back to normal, the class had noted sadly in the first weeks of term.  
  
"Good afternoon class," she said breezily, sitting in her armchair at the front of the class. "We are today going to be studying the Cross Spread. You will at first start with reading your own cards, and then we will move onto reading each others, as you did with the Three Card spread. This spread is very good for answering specific questions, so if you could keep one in mind. Now, if you would turn to page 563 in Unfogging the Future, we can begin..."  
  
The students turned to the correct pages in their books and then started, the sound of quiet chatter breaking out over the rustling pages. Ginny stopped shuffling her cards and tuned to the correct page. It showed a complicated and long winded explanation and a diagram of six cards laid out in the right way. Five of the cards were spread out in a cross shape, each numbered in the order to be laid down, and sixth card was over to the side, alone.  
  
She paused for a moment, trying to think of a particular question she wanted answered. She cast around in her mind, until, suddenly, she found the perfect one.  
  
"Will I make the right choice?" she whispered to herself quietly. She was referring to the previous Tarot reading she had done that day in Professor Trelawney's classroom, long ago (A/N In chapter three). Not bothering to really read through the instructions (she had a knack for this by now), Ginny shuffled her cards once more before laying them out in the complex pattern.  
  
Ginny looked at the first card and what it was supposed to represent - The Page of Cups, reversed, meant to represent the past and its influence on her question. She looked through the text book for the meaning, running her finger over the "Cups" before stopping at the right one. It read,  
  
//A petty and spoilt person is represented here, somebody who readily manipulates others' feelings for their own benefit//  
  
Ginny sighed, blowing her bangs up in exasperation. 'So, who's that meant to represent? Well, it really is quite obvious', she thought to herself, drumming her fingers on the table cloth. 'Bloody Draco Malfoy. He really is a thorn in my side, although I don't see how he can influence some great choice I have to make'  
  
Inhaling slowly, Ginny looked at the next card wearily. This was meant to represent...obstacles in her path, according to the book. Looking down at the spread, she saw that it was the Seven of Swords, thankfully not reversed. But then she flipped to the swords page, and her heart sank.  
  
//Dishonesty// it read, throwing a downer on the situation immediately. //Perhaps your efforts are not whole-hearted. Direct confrontation of an opponent will not get you anywhere. Cunning is better used, and all your guile must be employed to defeat an enemy. Depending on the situation, a sacrifice may be needed to succeed//  
  
'So dishonesty's an obstacle? But', Ginny thought, confused, 'Mum always said to be honest. Why wouldn't I be?'  
  
More puzzled than ever, she checked the next card, which was 'influences working in her favour' (Thank god). It was the Two of Cups, not reversed.  
  
//This card stands for commitment// the book said. //The love and understanding between two people, and harmonious relationships and emotional contentment. Opposites, in this case, may very well attract. Even if the link is not deeply emotional, friendship, mutual respect and the ending of rivalries are all represented//  
  
The ending of rivalries? That was appropriate. She had made a truce with Draco before Christmas, and that sounded very much like an 'ending' of a rivalry to her. Then again, the part about relationships...Ginny felt a warmth rise in her chest as she thought of Thom. Feeling somewhat happier, she looked at the fourth card, which was meant to be 'the near future'. It was the Ten of Cups, reversed. She scanned further down the page until she found it.  
  
//Contentment// was the meaning. An overly good outlook, it seemed. //Mistrust and rivalries in a previously happy situation//. Maybe not. //Losing touch with friends and relatives, perhaps feelings of isolation and misunderstanding//.  
  
Ginny sighed and rubbed the bridge of nose anxiously. Perhaps the card meant more misunderstandings with her family, or maybe even her loss of touch with the other girls. Shaking her head, she went onto the fifth card, keen to move on. This was the Three of Swords, representing the long term future. She turned back to the sword cards.  
  
//Heartache. A relationship will soon end painfully. That which was in your way is now being removed, possibly indicating a three-way relationship where one party, or perhaps all, will inevitably receive heartache//  
  
That did *not* sound good. There was *no way* that that sounded good. A three way relationship? As in an affair? But...but...she would never cheat on Thom, and it was the same for him. Wasn't it? Feeling incredibly worried, Ginny fervently went on to the sixth and last card, eager to know what the eventual outcome would be. She looked down at the spread to see which card it was. The Seven of Cups. A familiar card.  
  
//Choices//  
  
'Ah,' Ginny thought to herself as she saw the representation. 'This is definitely familiar. I had this one in my Three Card spread to'.  
  
//An important decision must be made; however, there are many options to choose from. Make your decision carefully, since all is not as it seems. Doorways of opportunity stand open, but you have to develop your instincts to know which one to go through. The choice is up to you, Virginia. Choose wisely//  
  
Ginny did a double take on the last sentence. What on *earth*?!How had the book known her name? Why the *hell* was it written in there? She looked back again, fearful in case she saw her name once more, but at the same time eager to know it was really there. But looking back, the paragraph ended with instincts. Indeed, the last sentence was no longer there. Ginny felt a mixture of relief and disappointment flood through her.  
  
She flipped back to the main Tarot page, seeing if there was anything else, but her eyes caught a page which seemed devoted to getting Combinations of Cards (A/N Getting, like, three fives at once or something) and it sparked her interest. She remembered getting two sevens, and she looked to see it had any special meaning. It did.  
  
//True Love//  
  
They were the only two words written, but Ginny already knew that somehow, this meant her decision had to do with love. Perhaps she had to find her true love or something?  
  
Ginny sighed. Basically she had to make some huge choice that was about her true love, was most likely connected to Draco Malfoy, involved commitments, dishonesty, contentment, and heartache.  
  
Utterly confused, Ginny was about to scan through the book for more information, but before she had time to try, Professor Trelawney clapped as a signal for them to listen. The students stopped reading the cards, turning towards Trelawney.  
  
"That is enough for today class, as I am sure you have found out much about your future today, and I hope your questions have been answered well," (a glower from Ginny followed this comment) "but until next lesson, I must ask you to pack away. Farewell, and fortuity to all"  
  
Ginny gladly stuffed her things into her bag, taking off almost at a run when the bell rang, getting down the ladder as fast as she could. She sped away from the classroom, her expression dark. Little first years scattered, trying to get out of the way of what was obviously a Weasley in a bad mood. She made her way down the main staircase to the entrance hall, and she didn't stop until she had swept out through the large double doors into the grounds. She made her way to the larger courtyard by the North Tower, sitting down on one of the stone benches, the nearby birch tree trying and failing to hide her from the rest of the world. Soon enough she heard footsteps coming towards her, interrupting her moping session. She was about to tell them to go away when she turned around and found herself looking up at Thom. She smiled delightedly, throwing her arms around his neck. He kissed her lightly on the nose before sitting beside her. He put an arm around her shoulders and she lent into him, snuggling close to his chest.  
  
"Nice to see you again" she said, feeling the cool January wind whip her hair around her face. Her hands were icy and she rubbed them together in an attempt to heat them up, but before she could do much, Thom took them into his own, kissing her windswept knuckles and then resting their intertwined fingers on his knee.  
  
"I couldn't stay away for long" he answered, and Ginny could tell he was grinning. She sighed contentedly in reply, fiddling absent-mindedly with the cuffs of her robes. She felt amazingly relaxed, and even the strange and intriguing Tarot reading from ten minutes previous seemed far away and dreamlike, like it was of no particular importance at all.  
  
But of course it was. The one who was watching knew that more than any.  
  
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A/N So, what do you guys think, huh? I *finally* updated! And it was pretty long as well, with lots of events! A *not* boring chapter! This proves that, yes, miracles *can* occur!  
  
Anyways, once again, I'm really sorry for the delay, but it's here now, so I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going to try *so* hard not to let the same thing happen again, so give me a nudge if I start to slip, okay?  
  
Anyways, please R&R, cuz you *know* I like it!  
  
Until next time, faithful readers!  
  
S.e.a 


	12. The Party

Things Change  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!  
  
A/N Hey people! Right, this chapter will hopefully be very entertaining for you all, as...well actually, you'll just have to read to find out, so I'll say no more! Hope nobody's mad at me for taking SO long to update on the last chapter, but at least I finally did it, and I'll try REALLY hard not to do it again!  
  
A/N2 In case anyone's wondering, I'm not going to give Ginny some magical make over here, cause that's just unrealistic. All I'm gonna do is...well, you'll see in a bit. But there will be NO corny magical make over, so don't worry.   
  
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Ginny woke up early on the Saturday morning of the party, fresh-faced and bright-eyed, having taken care to go to bed at what her mother would have called a 'reasonable time' the previous night. Peeling off the covers and drawing aside the hangings, she swung her legs out of the four-poster and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and taking a sip of water. She stretched, yawning, before walking over to the window and opening the heavy velvet curtains. This was met by groans from her roommates as watery morning sunlight filled the dorm, seeping through gaps in the hangings.  
  
"Gi-in...," Ana moaned into her pillow, rolling over as Ginny pulled her drapes aside. "It's too early to get up..."  
  
Ginny smiled wickedly.  
  
"Honestly, Ana, if you're going to go to the party you might as well wake up in time to get ready"  
  
She thought she heard Ana mutter something that sounded remarkably like, "Just cause you're going with Thom Walker...", but she smiled and ignored it. Grabbing some clothes, she made her way to the bathroom, pulling aside the hangings of the other girls as she did so.  
  
Once inside the bathroom, Ginny got into the shower to wash her hair, enjoying the feeling of the hot water on her face. It was just her luck she had to get out again 20 minutes later, due to Lara banging noisily on the door and demanding to use the bathroom.  
  
"I'll be out in ten!" Ginny yelled, wrapping a large towel around her body. She pottered around the bathroom, drying and brushing out her hair and cleaning her teeth, before pulling on a pair of loose jeans and a T-shirt. She was about to leave when she suddenly caught sight of herself in the mirror above the sink. Moving closer, she frowned, examining her freckles. It seemed like they'd doubled in amount and orangeness since the night before. She sighed, feeling a little deflated. The one day she really wanted to look *nice*, her freckles had to mess it up for her. Mind you, she thought, leaning closer. It wasn't just her freckles messing things up. She tugged at her hair limply, watching as the damp curls fell back against her neck, brushing her shoulders. It looked to her as though it was in a worse condition than it had been all term. *And* she was going to the party tonight!  
  
"Ginny!" Lara yelled.  
  
"Sorry!" she replied, swinging the bathroom door open to see Lara standing there with her toothbrush. "I was just..."  
  
She pointed behind her to the shower, shrugging. Lara scowled but didn't say anything as she swept past, closing the door behind her.  
  
Ginny headed back to her bed gloomily, her hand absently reaching up to fiddle with her hair, pulling at the curls the way she had done in the bathroom. She was just heading past Sophie's bed when she felt someone tug at her sleeve.  
  
"Hey Gin, having a bit of trouble?" Sophie asked as Ginny turned towards her.  
  
"Huh?" Ginny replied vaguely, slightly confused.  
  
"With your hair, I mean". Sophie pointed towards Ginny's head and the curls falling down to her shoulders. "You look kinda...I don't know, annoyed with it"  
  
"Oh, that. Yeah, it's nothing. I just...it looks a little...flat, don't you think?" Ginny answered, taking a look in the mirror on the far wall. "A little...lifeless"  
  
Sophie smiled, the first friendly gesture the two had exchanged in days. Ginny smiled back, albeit a little bleakly.  
  
"Look, Gin, not being mean here, but if you want the truth, maybe its cause you never really *do* anything with your hair, and now you want it to look special and you don't think it looks nice at all. Is that it?"  
  
Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I just...this is the first party I've ever been to, and I want to look *good* for it. Is that so bad?"  
  
"No," Sophie replied, laughing slightly. "It's perfectly normal. Hey, it's my first party too, and normally I don't really care all that much about my hair, but I do today, so don't worry, I get what you're going through. Now," she said, looking around the room. "Where are the others? Ana!"  
  
"What...?" came the groggy reply from the next bed.  
  
"I got you guys a test subject!"  
  
"Ooo, really?!" Ana cried, all sleepiness forgotten as she hurriedly pushing aside her hangings. "Who?"  
  
"Ginny"  
  
"What?" Ginny said, looking warily at Ana as she got out of bed and sat next to Sophie on hers. "What's going on? Test subject?"  
  
"You said you wanted to look nice. Well, the girls and I are going to make you up. Okay?"  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You guys are kidding, right?"  
  
Ana and Sophie both shook their heads. Ginny, thoroughly unconvinced, raised both her hands in front of her defensively, her expression sceptical. "Come on, guys, you really don't have to do this to make me feel better or anything..."  
  
She trailed off as she saw the looks on their faces.  
  
"Ginny, we aren't doing this for you to make you *feel* better. We're doing it so you can *look* better. Right girls?" Sophie asked, looking round. Lizzie, along with Lara (who had just got back from the bathroom) had now joined them, and they were nodding, grins on their faces. Ginny looked at them all dubiously, her eyebrows raised. She lifted a hand to her hair again, looking in the mirror on the far wall once more. Seeing the way her hair curled droopily around her face, she scowled.  
  
'Damned hair' she thought, pulling at one particularly lifeless curl. Looking back at the others, she hesitated for a second, before nodding tentatively in agreement. Their faces broke out in gleeful smiles as they clapped their hands together. Ginny just glowered, put her hands in her pockets and walked out the door, dreading going back to the tower that evening.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Ginny ascended the stairs to the Gryffindor corridor at a snail's pace, trying to take as much time as possible to reach the Fat Lady's portrait at the end. Having spent as much of the day as possible hidden away in the library doing homework ('This is what those girls drive me to - homework on a Saturday!'), she had finally packed up at 5:50 and trudged back up to the Gryffindor corridor.  
  
She reached the Fat Lady much too quickly for her liking, and, glumly saying the password ('Pickled Snape Guts' - Ron's idea), she slipped through into the common room. The usual assortment of students were sprawled over the sofas and armchairs as she made her way to the stairs, and Colin and Dennis Creevey waved at her from across the room.  
  
Sullenly, Ginny got to the girls stairs and started up to her dorm, her hair hanging around her face as she glowered at all beneath it. Not even half way up the staircase the sounds of her roommates giggling reached her, and her scowl deepened as she got to the top. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she turned it, wincing as the squeaking immediately silenced the room inside. The door swung open slowly, revealing her roommates spread over the room. They looked a right sight. Sophie sat on her bed with Lara, a pair of what looked like eyelash curlers clutched in her hands as she advanced on Lara with them. Her hair was in rollers, the reddish-brown tresses tucked in with hair pins, and Lara's blonde-brown curls were currently being steamed straight with smoke pouring out of Lizzie's wand. Lizzie had on a pair of baggy jeans, her nightshirt still over the top of it like an overly large t-shirt, and Ana sat between Lara and Sophie, trying to apply lipgloss to her lips even though the bed was trembling with Lara's attempt to get away from Sophie's eyelash curlers. But all this stopped when Ginny opened the door.  
  
There was silence for a second as the girls looked at Ginny in the doorway, her glower lessening as she took in the scene before her. Then, as quickly as it had come, the silence was replaced by a deafening cacophony of sound as the girls all started squealing. Sophie jumped off the bed (along with the eyelash curlers, much to Lara's relief) and grabbed Ginny's arm, closing the door behind them and leading her over to the bed, her grip on Ginny's arm tight, so that any chance of escape was now gone. She sat her down amidst the various bags and cases of make-up and the clothes scattered everywhere, and leant back, as if examining her. The other girls quietened, all of them staring at her intently. Ginny looked round at them, her mouth forming a small questioning 'o'.  
  
"Guys...?"  
  
Instantaneously, noise broke out again as girls dashed this way and that, grabbing god knows what from different bags and then converging on her again, all of them tugging and jostling her around, trying to get at different parts of her face and hair. She squealed indignantly as Ana yanked her hair, her dark arms squeezed underneath Sophie's as she pulled the strands backwards. Sophie was brandishing a stick of something a yellowy-peach colour and trying to use it to cover Ginny's zits, and Lizzie and Lara were arguing over what looked like mascara. Ginny struggled slightly, trying to get away, but to no avail.  
  
Having finished with the yellowy stick, Sophie proceeded to reach into one of the cases and pulled out a round thing with what looked like lots of different eyeshadows on it, along with a weird spongy thing and a small brush. Standing back slightly, she looked Ginny over before scanning the different eyeshadows in the case. She hesitated for a second, her brush poised over the make-up, before she dipped into one and started trying to brush it over Ginny's eyelid without getting knocked by Lizzie's elbows as she tested different lip colours on her hand. Then, after applying the shadow over her 'lid from lashes to brow, she dipped into another colour and gently swept it into the crease of Ginny's eyelid.  
  
"There" she said, leaning back and smiling, but almost immediately she was replaced by Lara trying to apply a bit of eyeliner. Ginny sat, helpless, as Lara rubbed the stuff over her eye and Ana tugged at her hair, wondering feebly when it was going to end.  
  
She had to endure Lizzie putting mascara on her lashes (all the while convinced that the brush was going to jab her in the eye), Sophie rubbing lip salve over her mouth before daubing something *else* on it, and Ana doing something so that she felt like clumps of her hair had been pulled out before they were even remotely finished.  
  
But at last, they all stepped back to admire their work. Ginny looked up at them apprehensively as they grinned down at her.  
  
"Uh...so...can I see?" she asked timidly.  
  
"Oh, of *course*!" they all cried, practically pulling her arms from their sockets as they dragged her over to the floor-length mirror hidden away in the corner.  
  
Ginny looked at herself in surprise. Ginny had never really worn make-up before, but now...she twirled round, inspecting her reflection in the mirror. Her curls seemed to be a lot more rounded and bouncy than before, and they gleamed slightly with freshly-washed shine. Apart from that they'd been left pretty much the same, the only difference in style being that Ana had swept back some of the hair by her left temple and secured it back from her face with a clip. The rest flowed freely down to her shoulders like before.  
  
Her eyes had also been decorated, but it was so subtle that Ginny didn't even really notice at first, but when the evening light from the window caught a sparkle by her eye, she leaned closer to the mirror to see what it was. She had a thin silvery eyeshadow brushed over from lashes to brow, and in the crease of her eyelid was an almost (but not quite) invisible touch of blue swept into it. Her lashes had been darkened by a pale blue-black mascara. She'd also had a thin sweeping of something over her lips, so that they now looked pale pink instead of their usual colour.  
  
Ginny leant back, surprised. Far from looking terrible like she had been convinced she would, she would even go so far as to say she looked...pretty. She brought a hand to her hair, feeling the glossy curls as they hung around her face so tamely. She smiled at herself in the mirror, and the reflection smiled back.  
  
"So...," said Lara behind her, her voice quiet and eager. "What do you think?"  
  
Ginny tuned round, a shy smile on her face.  
  
"I love it"  
  
And they all rushed at her in a many armed hug.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Ginny sat on her bed, flicking through a magazine as the others scurried around the dorm, still trying to get ready. She checked her watch (6:45) and sighed, looking at them with her eyebrows raised. Ana was half-in half- out of a pair of black trousers, and wore black top proclaiming 'Love Not War' at them all in bright fluorescent green. A green hat sat on her dark hair and a cuddly monkey keyring protruded from her pocket. Lara was wearing a pair of blue and white jeans with a navy skinny rib, both contrasting with her hair, whilst Sophie had finally taken out her curlers (leaving her hair to bounce in attractive curls), was wearing sk8er shorts and was rummaging around in her draw for a top. Lizzie was the only one who seemed even remotely ready apart from Ginny herself. Lizzie had dressed before the rest of them, her outfit being a simple pair of loose jeans and a pink snowboarding t-shirt, set off against her dark brown corkscrew curls. She sat trying to help Sophie find a top.  
  
Ginny looked back at her magazine, realising she was going to have to wait for at least another five minutes. It was a muggle magazine Sophie had brought back with her after spending the holidays with her muggle grandparents in Ireland. It was alright, Ginny supposed as she read an article about a girl whose mother had stolen her husband. A little weird, what with all the still muggle photographs (A/N If only Orlando would wave at me from my wall!), but still alright.  
  
"Come on guys!" she called, closing the magazine as she took another look at her watch. "The party started twenty minutes ago!"  
  
At these words she was satisfied to see them all go into a slight frenzy, rushing around trying to sort out last minutes blemishes and find proper clothes. Ginny watched them, her chin resting on her hand, until they all grabbed their bags and declared their readiness.  
  
"Right then," Ginny said, grabbing her own bag and standing up. "Let's go"  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"You couldn't really get much more stupid could you?" Sophie said in passing, pointing at the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy as a troll tried to bludgeon his 'ballet teacher' to death.  
  
"Nope. Now, let's see if this works...," Ginny said, lining them all up next to the man-sized vase on one of side of the blank wall. "We've got to walk past this wall three times and think about what we want from the room for, okay?" she explained.  
  
They did so, turning at the window on the other side of the wall and then again at the vase. Ginny clenched her fists, willing the room to show itself.  
  
'Let us get in...we want to go to this party...I want to see Thom...' she thought, silently mouthing the words under her breath.  
  
"Ginny!" Sophie cried just as they finished their third walk, pointing at a highly polished door that had appeared in the wall. "Look!"  
  
Walking forward, Ginny confidently placed her hand on the doorknob like she had done so many times before, and turned it. The door swung open, and, instead of the bookcases, DADA instruments and cushions that she had come to associate with the room, they found themselves looking at an enormous space filled with people. Music was playing loudly from a record-player in the corner, and there was a small stage filled with electrical muggle instruments. It was empty of people, but Ginny had a feeling a band might be playing there soon.  
  
Ginny turned to look at the other girls. Their mouths were gaping, surprise written all over their faces. Ginny smiled, beckoning them to follow her into the party as she stepped through the door. They did so obediently, staring all around them. Ginny couldn't help staring too. Now they were inside, it looked more like a whole house then just a room. It was all interconnecting, an open plan 'lounge' and 'other lounge' all together in one big space. Ginny could see glimpses of other parts of the room/house thing through the mass of people, but not much.  
  
"You guys go have fun, okay?" she half-shouted over the noise of Witches in Power, which was now blasting out of the record player. "I'm need to go -"  
  
"Find Thom!" they all shouted back, finishing her sentence for her. Ginny smiled and nodded, and they girls waved her goodbye, all of them turning to explore.  
  
Turning round herself, Ginny started to push through all the people dancing. There were people everywhere, a lot more than Ginny had expected. 'Had they all been told about the Room of Requirement?' she wondered to herself. But no, now she thought about it, hadn't Thom said that a spell had been put on the party so that only the people who knew about the room of requirement already would be able to remember where it was? (A/N Did that sentence make *any* sense? No, I thought not).  
  
Ginny smiled to herself as she pushed past a last dancing couple to find herself in a much more airy space. There were still a lot of people around, but instead of dancing, they sat around talking, laughing and eating mostly. She looked around for a second, and her brow furrowed when she realised she couldn't see Thom. She was about to start exploring the other parts of the room/house thing when suddenly she felt somebody's arms encircle her waist and they whispered in her ear.  
  
"Hey beautiful"  
  
Ginny smiled and leant back against Thom, her face turned towards his. She threaded her fingers into his, smiling as he kissed the side of her neck gently.  
  
"Hey yourself," she replied, turning in his grasp so that she was facing him. "I was looking for you"  
  
"Well, *I* was looking for *you* too. How long've you been here?"  
  
"About five minutes," Ginny replied. "The others took *ages* getting ready, so I had to wait for them so I could show them how to get here."  
  
Thom looked down at her, his eyes drifting over her simple outfit of silvery-grey cords and a black t-shirt.  
  
"Well, you look like a million galleons," he said. "Even if you did take less than a century to get ready"  
  
Ginny smiled, but then she remembered something she'd wanted to ask Thom.  
  
"You did say that nobody'd be able to find here unless they'd been once already, didn't you?"  
  
Thom nodded. "Uh huh. We figured it'd be kind of dumb if practically everybody knew how to get here. Destroy the 'mystique' of the room, don't you think?"  
  
Ginny nodded in agreement.  
  
"Oh yeah, and the dream team are here," Thom said, jabbing a thumb behind to the packed 'lounge' thing. "Although your brother and his girlfriend have been missing for quite a while"  
  
Ginny cuffed Thom playfully on the arm. "Yuck, don't tell me that! It's *Ron* we're talking about here!"  
  
"Well," said Thom, kissing her nose tenderly. "I think they had the right idea..."  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow at Thom, a smile playing across her face. "You think so, huh?" she replied playfully. "Well, maybe they did..."  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
The room swam slightly in front of Ginny's eyes, the mass of dim colour making her feel sick. Then again, it could just be the six bottles of butter beer, five shots of Phoenix Vodka and all the other alcoholic infusions she'd had in the past four hours that was making her feel like her stomach was about to come out through her mouth.  
  
She clung onto Thom's arm as he gently steered her towards a couch and sat her down, rubbing her back soothingly. She took a large gulp of water when he handed her a glass, trying to get the taste of vomit out of her mouth.  
  
"There...," he said gently, taking the glass and putting on the coffee table in front of them. He took one of her hands in his, resting them on her knee. "That's better, huh?"  
  
Ginny nodded slightly, leaning her temple against his cheek. He snaked his arm around her waist completely, supporting her as she closed her eyes.  
  
"Thom...?" she said gently, but before she could say any more, Thom heard her breathing become lighter and more even and her body relax against him, a sure sign that she was asleep. Gently, he removed himself from her grip and laid her down, putting some cushions under her head. He stood up, and for a second looked down at her, a tender smile on his lips. Bending down, he placed a gently kiss on her lips before standing once more and heading back to the party.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Ginny opened her eyes to see Thom bending down over her, a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her. She sat up a hand to her head as she realised it was throbbing slightly. Looking around, she saw that the room was practically empty now; all that was left were mostly seventh years sprawled over the sofas and floors. People were going around shaking them, and Ginny thought she spotted Harry and Hermione amongst the 'awake' people. She looked back up at Thom, wincing at the slight ache in her head.  
  
"What...?"  
  
"The party cleared out about half an hour ago," he said, gently pulling her up off the sofa and steadying her as she wobbled, slightly off balance. "It's about two-thirty, so not much chance of being caught. Even Filch has to sleep. But all the same, people are leaving in threes and twos, and Hermione's been putting those Disillusionment Charm thingies on everyone. Your friends left about and hour and a half ago, so not much chance of you leaving with them, but I'm going to take you back instead"  
  
Ginny looked at him, her brain screaming 'information overload' at the top of its voice. She clutched onto his arm appreciatively as he walked over to where Hermione was trying to stir a sleepy looking Ron.  
  
"Oh dear," Hermione said, looking at Ginny like a mother hen. "Ginny, I thought you knew better than your brother..."  
  
She sighed and tapped her wand on Ginny's head before moving on to Thom. 'How about you? You came to this 'illegal' party, didn't you?' Ginny thought gloomily, as the peculiar sensation of having an egg smashed over her head ran down her body. She looked down, and for a moment wondered where the hell she'd gone, but then she saw that her body had blended in with her surroundings, like a chameleon. Thom was the same when she looked back at him.  
  
Shooting a slightly murderous glance at Hermione for being a hypocrite, she half-followed half-leant on Thom as he made his way to the door, and before she knew it, they were out in the cool air of the corridor. Ginny smiled a little as her face immediately cooled down, and she followed Thom past the tapestry where Barnabas was attempting to teach a troll a pirouette.  
  
They walked until they reached the place where Ravenclaws left for their common room and Gryffindors for theirs.  
  
"Do you want me to carry on with you or are you alright on your own?" Thom asked, letting go of her waist to see if she could stand on her own. Ginny stayed upright, smiling with a slight hint of triumph.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied, giving him a thumbs up. "Besides, you don't know where my common room is"  
  
Thom smiled at her, his hand still on her arm as she tried to walk away. "I don't want to leave you on your own," he answered. "Your common room might be miles away"  
  
"Yeah, but it isn't, is it?" she said, a grin on her face.  
  
"Well," he said, letting go of her arm again. "I guess...are you sure?"  
  
"Thom, I can look after myself" Ginny said kindly, sliding her arms around Thom's neck as she hugged him.  
  
"I hope so" Thom replied, kissing the end of her nose before kissing her gently on the lips. They stayed that way for a few minutes, before Ginny, realising the disillusion thingy would wear off soon, pulled away. Thom grumbled in protest, but gave her one last, lingering kiss before shooing her back to her common room. Ginny giggled, blowing him kisses all the way up the corridor until he was out of sight. She heard his footsteps fade away as he headed up his own corridor and she turned around, expecting to go back to the common room. Instead, she ran right into somebody's chest.  
  
"Ow!" she cried as she fell on her butt, the stone floor sending a wave of soreness over her that matched the throbbing pain she felt in her nose where she had smashed into the person. She looked up dazedly, little stars dancing over her vision, to see someone holding out their hand to her. She took it, dimly aware that it was probably a bad idea. Standing up, she looked at her hands, the skin grazed where she had put them out to steady herself, before looking up at the person she had bumped into. Her mouth fell open, gaping.  
  
"Bloody hell!" she shrieked, stamping her foot on the ground in sheer frustration. "You!"  
  
She opened her mouth to scream again, but Draco put a hand over her mouth to stop her.  
  
"Ginny!" he said sharply. "If you carry on like this Filch'll catch us both. Do you really want that?"  
  
Ginny paused and then, reluctantly, stopped trying to struggle and shout. Slowly, Draco let go of her mouth, stepping back when he saw that she wasn't going to go completely mental.  
  
"Now," he said, his usual smirk reappearing on his face. "Why don't you apologize for bumping into me a third time?"  
  
Ginny's mouth opened in shock and disgust. Slowly, she clenched her fists, her lips snarling in an animalistic fashion, hot, boiling anger rising in her chest. She stepped forward slightly, but Draco, still standing there in his usual cocky fashion, just smirked wider. That did it. A yell of fury escaping her lips, Ginny rushed at him, her small body moving faster than he would have expected. She pushed at him with her hands, leaving small stains of blood on his shirt from where her grazes were bleeding. He looked down at her in slight surprise as he stumbled backwards, his brow furrowed as he easily caught her wrists and stopped her from hitting him. She didn't give up struggling against him and trying to kick him. He made a face as one of her sneakers connected with his shin, but he kept out of the way, keeping her at arms length away from him. She snarled, trying to get at him still, but he just held her there, and eventually she gave up, her chocolate eyes looking at him with loathing as she stood, panting, in the moonlight. The disillusionment charm had by now worn off, and he watched as she stopped blending in with the walls and returned to normal.  
  
"Ginny," he said, his voice even. "That was a waste of time"  
  
She made a sound like "Huh" under her breath, but he ignored it, still keeping her at arms length. He looked at her clothes, taking in the now rumpled cords and t-shirt.  
  
"My my," he said, looking down at her. "Have we been to a party?"  
  
Ginny just looked at him, one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Well then, I guess that's a yes"  
  
"Maybe I have, but even so, why the hell would you care? You Slytherin lot have parties practically 24/7" Ginny replied, finally wrenching herself from his grip and taking a step back. He sneered at her, knowing that he was infuriating her even more by 'smiling'.  
  
"I just didn't think you were the partying type Ginny. You know, all that alcohol and such...but then again..."  
  
He inhaled; breathing in the scent of alcohol Ginny knew would be all over her. She silently cursed ever agreeing to go to the party as his smirk widened and a glint that Ginny didn't like the look of entered his eyes.  
  
"Well, it seems that the youngest Weasley has been drinking illegally. And you're, what, three years underage?"  
  
"So?" she shot back angrily. "You're two years underage and it's a well known fact that you get smashed at least twice a month. Must be all the 'pressure' your dear father is putting you under to become a Death Eater"  
  
Ginny knew her last sentence had been a mistake the minute it was out of her mouth. The glint went out of his eyes to be replaced by anger, and his whole face became full of fury. Before she knew what was going on, he had strode forward and grabbed onto her wrists.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
His voice was a deadly whisper, much scarier and hurtful than all the other tones she had ever heard him use. She looked up at him, her face now holding a faint trace of fear as she looked into his face.  
  
"I said," she replied, gulping. "Something that matches all the things you've ever said or done to me"  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" he said, glaring at her.  
  
"All the times you said something about my family, you were hurting me" she said, her voice quiet, and odd tremble in it. She paused, seeing if he was going to say anything, but he carried on looking at her in anger. "All the times you did something to hurt me -" she swallowed, thinking of one particular thing "- you were doing what I just did to you. All those times you - kissed me - you left me feeling used and disgusted. Now you feel disgusted, and you can't take it"  
  
Her voice had gotten stronger the more she carried on, and now she stood up straight, her face brave, if quivering a little. She swallowed again, and, feeling brave, she found the courage to ask something she had been wondering about for weeks.  
  
"Why did you kiss me?"  
  
His reaction was not one she had expected. He looked at her for a second, his face blank. But then, he began to laugh. Laugh! It was mirthless, the sound hollow and empty.  
  
"Kiss you?" he said, shaking his head ever so slightly, his hair swinging in front of his eyes a little. "What, did you think there was some special reason? I kissed you because you were *there*, Ginny. You remember that first time on the train? I was going to make out with...whatever her name was, but you wouldn't move, would you? Oh no, so I did what came naturally. I used you instead. If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else"  
  
Ginny looked at him, her eyes wide. Then, she changed, her expression going from shock to disbelief to just pure disgust. Her eyes shone with revulsion as she looked at him.  
  
"You're sick" she said, shaking her head and taking a step back. "You're really sick"  
  
She took another step back, and another, until she turned and ran in the direction of the common room, her shoes beating down on the floor in her hurry to get away.  
  
His mirthless laughter followed her down the corridor, her detestation and horror mixing with surprise as she realised something. Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath, her body shaking uncontrollably, and she realised that, for all her hatred of him, all her loathing of the way he had *used* her, she hated him most for this. For how he had brought her to what she was doing now, and because she didn't understand why she was doing it.  
  
Because she was crying.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N Oh my god, this is eleven pages long! Wow! That's my longest chapter ever! And it turned out to be very angst-ridden, didn't it? Well, seeing as how this is an angst story, I suppose that's a good thing. And for all of you who were wondering just why he *did* kiss her, you now have your answer. Anyways, this chapter has been out pretty quickly (compared to the last one anyway, lol!), and I'm going to try and get the next one out as quick as possible. And be thankful to open days, because I have a four-day weekend this week! Alleluia!  
  
Ash - I get what you mean with the empathetic stuff, I always get embarrassed when stuff like that happens. I have to hide behind a cushion when stuff like that's on telly, lol! And thanks for the compliment on the D/G action, although I guess there was a thorough lack-of during the last couple of chapters. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Writing*-*Wonder - Wow, you love my story? That is so flattering I think I'm gonna cry! Nah, I'm alright, and thanks for the compliment! And I guess that chapter eleven answered your question about Thom and Ginny, huh? And I'm glad you like Thom. Btw, all those songs are my favourites as well! Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Forestfire - Yeah, it did, didn't it? Poor Gin, I'm so evil, lol! And yeah, hopefully Draco will one day feel guilty, but I couldn't have it as right away, because it just isn't him. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
cashew - Don't worry, she won't commit suicide! Yet. He he he, I'm evil. And no, I haven't forgotten about the story (obviously!). I'm also thrilled that Ginny and Thom are together - they make such a cute couple! And I'm glad you like Thom - he's one of my better creations - his role may be quite big, but I'm not sure yet. And no, he won't get completely screwed over!  
  
I've been meaning to say Happy Birthday since it *was* your birthday, but I have the memory of a sieve, so forgive me! And think less 'school', more 'prison camp'. Nah, just kidding, lol! Also, thank you for saying Happy 4th July. I might not celebrate it but I like to be all 'multinational' or whatever, so that's okay. And yes, *do* celebrate America's independence from Britain! And my rambles are just as weird, so don't worry. Later, and thanks for reviewing.  
  
Okeanos - Hey, thanks for the 'cool' compliment, very unlike you to be so nice! Joke, joke, I would never call you nice, lol! Don't give me 'the look', please! Anyways, yes, I have granted your wish for a quick update, so be happy. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
HiddenintheAbyss - Thanks for liking my story so much you love it! It's such a flattering compliment to be told someone loves your writing, so thank you *so* much! And yeah, the train thing was a bit weird, but I sorta like it the way it is (it's the closet I'll ever get to the dreaded NC-17 - ick!). And obviously I'd like more reviews, but I guess people just don't like my summary, lol! But maybe I'll get more in the future. Please keep reading, and thanks for reviewing!  
  
Please go review this chapter and tell me what you think. Oh, and I've posted the first chapter of a new story, so you could always go check that out if you want. I probably won't update it until I've finished Things Change, or at least done a bit more of it, so think of it as a taster of what's to come!  
  
Luv,  
  
S.e.a 


	13. Dreaming

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Okay, I'm really happy here, because everyone's been so nice about chapter 12. But can I tell you all a secret? I really didn't like that one! I thought it was practically my worst yet! But then I get all these lovely nice comments from you guys, and I read it through again (how stupid am I? I read my own chapter over the internet!) and I thought, 'Hey, it's not _too_ bad – I suppose'. Anyways, I'm gonna go and get on with the next chapter now, like all you guys told me too, and hopefully this will be out SOON!

A/N2 Can I just say something? I've never had a hangover; this was written purely from guess work, I swear! : D

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The day was wet and grey, the sky overcast with thick rain clouds. Ginny made a face as she woke up, hearing the other girls moving around the dorm much too loudly for her liking. She turned over and groaned into her pillow, the sound muffled by the cotton pillow case.

"C'mon Gin, it can't be that bad," she heard Lizzie saying from outside the protective cocoon of her hangings. "You only had, what, a hundred gallons of alcohol?"

She heard the other girls sniggering as Lizzie broke into giggles. She just groaned again in reply, rolling over so that she was facing the ceiling of her four-poster. She put a hand to her throbbing head, wincing as the mild contact between hand and forehead caused a horrible flare of pain. Yep, she'd had waaaaaay too much alcohol. She'd just have to hope Ron didn't know. But then again, Ron and Hermione had conveniently spent most of the party shut up in cupboard.

'Thank goodness I don't know if he's a virgin' she thought to herself, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She sighed, letting her hand flop back down onto the pillows beside her. Her head was really throbbing badly now, as she lay there in the semi-darkness. But then it got much, much worse.

"Letter!" Lara yelled at the top her voice, yanking aside Ginny's drapes and letting the sunlight, along with a grey tawny owl, flood onto her bed. Ginny sat up with a yelp, trying to avoid the owl as it plummeted onto her bed and subsequently banging her skull against the headboard.

"WATCH IT!" she shrieked, putting a hand to her head as it began to throb ever more violently. "I do have a hangover you know!"

"Sorry, but it was going to collide with your hangings," Lara replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "It would have gotten all tangled otherwise"

"It got all tangled anyway" Ginny said, giving her a murderous glare and scooting forwards to where the familiar looking owl was trying to extract itself from her sheets. She picked it up gently, removing the letter from its leg. The owl ruffled its feathers importantly, briefly fixing her with its beady eyes before spreading its wings and flying towards her trunk, where it perched on the top. Ginny looked back down at the letter in her palm and, at the sight of the handwriting, she smiled, even though her head felt worse than ever.

Turning it over, she opened the envelope and took out the short piece of parchment. It read,

_Dear Beautiful,_

_How about you and me meet up today? We could go to that little café place, you know, the one with the nice cake things that you said you liked so much? I'd really love it if you could. Send your reply back with Ravioli._

_Love always,_

_Thom_

_p.s. Our first date, huh?_

Ginny's smile grew wider as she read the note through, and as she read the p.s. her heart began to beat madly. A _real date? She, Ginny Weasley, was going on a __real date? And what was this nice café he was talking about?_

'Actually', she thought to herself, 'exactly _what was it?'_

And then she remembered. 'Hogsmeade weekend, Sunday'.

She groaned and slapped her forehead in frustration – an act she quickly regretted as searing pain flared in her head. Grimacing, she collapsed back onto her pillows, once more staring at the red velvet canopy above her. Sure, a trip to a little Hogsmeade café sounded lovely, but then again, most of the school was going to Hogsmeade, which meant...

Ginny rolled over onto her stomach, one arm under her pillow as she turned her back to the sunlight. She sighed softly, mulling over what to do as she fiddled with the edge of the pillowcase. Reluctantly, her thoughts led her back to the night before. Having reached the common room, she had collapsed into an armchair and cried, great big salty tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to stifle her sobs. And the worst thing was that she didn't know why she had been crying. Yes, Malfoy had upset her, but surely not enough to make her cry? She was a strong thing really, and although Malfoy's words had left her feeling used and thoroughly disgusted, they shouldn't have brought her to tears. She certainly didn't think he was worth it.

She shook her head ever so slightly to rid herself of her thoughts, but in doing so her head began to throb even more. She sighed again, closing her eyes tight as she felt more tears well up. She willed herself not to care as they spilled through her eyelashes, some rolling over her nose as they landed on the soft cotton of her pillow. Her fingers clenched the pillow tight as the tears fell silently and she lay there in the morning sunshine, wondering why things were the way they were.

///*///*///*///*///*///

Thom was waiting for her in the entrance hall when she got there, wrapped up in his cloak and school scarf to protect him from the cold January wind.

'He looks cute' Ginny thought fleetingly as he smiled at her, holding out his hand. She felt herself smile back as she took it, interlacing their fingers together.

"Hey," she said as they waited with the other students crowded in the hall. "How are you?"

"What, after last night?" Thom asked, grinning. "Yeah, I'm okay. I can usually handle drink pretty well. How about you? You don't really seem..."

He paused, leaning back slightly and looking at her intently. "Okay" he finished finally.

Ginny smiled slightly. "I've just got the biggest hangover of the century, that's all" she replied, wincing as somebody shouted "Betsy!" by her ear.

Thom's grin disappeared, and he put his hand protectively on the small of her back, his face concerned. "We don't have to go out if you don't want to," he said, but Ginny shook her head, her expression resolute.

"We're not going to miss our first official date because I have a hangover from the party," she replied, trying to make her smile bigger. "And don't even try and stop me!" she added, seeing Thom about to protest.

"Well...alright," he agreed finally. "If you insist"

///*///*///*///*///*///

The café was almost empty, which surprised Ginny, seeing as it was on the main street, but she welcomed the quiet gratefully. Thom insisted they sit in the window, and Ginny, not having enough energy to protest, gave in quickly. She looked at the busy street outside whilst Thom ordered two coffees and some food at the counter, watching groups of students rushing past the window, shopping bags clutched in their hands. She put her chin in her palm as she rested her elbow on the table, the other hand fiddling absently with her little Udjat necklace. Her mind, although some part of it was dreamily thinking about Thom, was mostly on something – or rather somebody – else. Completely against her will, her mind kept wandering back to Him. Draco. The bane of her existence. She had kept replaying the events of the previous night in her head, over and over again, since she had woken up that morning.

'Why does this keep happening?' she silently asked herself for the umpteenth time, completely absorbed in her thoughts. 'I've acknowledged it, I've dealt with it, and I _have_ got over it. Haven't I?'

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice Thom had sat down until he waved his hand in front of her face and asked if she was alright. She blinked at him stupidly for a couple of seconds, before smiling vaguely and nodding.

"I'm fine" she replied, taking her hand away from her chin and laying it on the table. Thom grinned back and passed her coffee to her, and then took Ginny's outstretched hand where it rested on the tabletop. She trembled slightly as he intertwined their fingers, his touch sending little shivers down her spine, all thoughts of a headache forgotten. Ginny looked at his face, smiling at the way his eyes rested on their hands, and for the first time she really felt herself take in just how...handsome Thom was. His hair, dark, thick and lavish, and the way his handsome grey eyes were shaded by long black lashes...everything about him was wonderful. And, for the first time since she had seen Draco on the train, she didn't feel confused or disgusted or exploited. She felt like she was in love. She was in love with Thom, and right now, no one, not even Draco Malfoy, could take that away from her.

"I care for you so much Thom"

Thom looked up at her in surprise, his face startled. Ginny laughed a little, looking shyly down at the table, a coy smile playing across her face. Thom blushed faintly, and then he reached across the table and raised Ginny's face to look at him. His eyes were bright, seriousness drifting in their depths, along with...was it love? His expression was tenderer than Ginny had ever seen it before, in all the months they'd known each other (had it only been that long?). His face was so...innocent, and yet so mature. He looked at her for a second, before opening his mouth to speak.

"I care for you to, Gin. More than I have for anyone I've been with before. Not that there have been many," he added hastily, but Ginny just smiled. "Anyway," he continued. "Hearing you say that, totally out of the blue, makes me..."

His brow furrowed a little as he searched for a word. "Makes me...happy"

Ginny smiled shyly, looking up at him with a coy expression as colour blossomed on her cheeks. Thom smiled back as they gazed into each others eyes, lost in the moment...

"Two strawberry sundaes for table four?"

///*///*///*///*///*///

Ginny groaned as she sat down on her bed, still wrapped up in her cloak and scarf. She unwound the scarf from her neck and dropped it on the floor beside her, before doing the same with the cloak and leaning back on her bed, her legs hanging off the edge. Sighing, she lifted her hands and began to examine them, wriggling the frozen joints. Her knuckles and the joints in her fingers had turned red and flaky with the cold, and she made a face as her hands started to burn when the heat began to seep back into them.

"I hate January..." she muttered, letting her arms flop back onto the bed and feeling the mattress bounce slightly. "It sucks..."

Her head was still throbbing, and even though it had been spent with Thom, the trip to Hogsmeade had done her no favours. The café had eventually filled up a bit more, and the noise had added to her headache. Not wanting to disappoint Thom, she hadn't said anything, but now she was regretting it. It was still to painful to think, talk, read...anything. Fiddling once with her Udjat necklace, she closed her eyes and before she knew it, she was sleeping.

_...The room was dark, the only light coming from a small window high up in the wall. It was completely empty, bar the throne set upon a dais in front of her, shrouded in darkness. All she could see was the vague silhouette of a rather tall man, and the end of a long robe and a pair of shoes, the only two things bathed in pure moonlight. The face was shadowed in black and silver, as was the cloth of the robes pooling at his feet, and a long fingered pair of hands played with a pack of what looked like Tarot cards. A crown rested upon the man's head, cruel looking and sharp._

_"So," he said, and his voice echoed around the room, an air of conceit in his tone. "You have obeyed me at last"_

_She felt herself nod, dimly conscious that the stone floor was cold against her knees and shins._

_"Very good". The cards were gone and a wand was now twirling dangerously in the slender hands. "I see you at last know how to treat me"_

_She felt herself nod again, vaguely aware that it was important to do so._

_"And now, my dear girl, you will have your reward"_

_He smiled cruelly and pointed the wand at her chest. "Cruci–"_

_Suddenly there was a sound like a star exploding and the room seemed to split in half. For a moment she didn't know what was going on, but then she realised that a gash of white light had seared vertically through the room, far too bright to look at directly. Her head snapped to the left as if she had been struck, and she peered through one half-closed eye. A figure 'stood' in the middle, it's lines blurred as it stretched out a hand, palm outwards. It's back was to her, facing the man on the throne. She could faintly see him through the light, and as she did so she felt herself stare in shock. He was cowering on the throne, his hands held up in front of his face as he recoiled, the white light wrapping tendrils of illumination around him._

_"No..." he moaned, his face contorting in pain. "No..."_

_"Do no harm to this one Tom. She is too important"_

_The voice was calm and gentle, but the power behind it was overwhelming. She looked around for the speaker for a moment, before looking back up at the figure in the white light and suddenly realising it was that which had spoken. The figure slowly lowered its arm, watching for a moment as the white light continued to engulf the man, before, as if responding to her realisation, the figure turned slowly and looked at her. It lingered briefly..._

_"Be protected by my power, be guarded by my love" it cried, the sweet, gentle voice rising with command. It seemed to pause for a second, and then…_

_The light blazed brighter, momentarily blinding her, and for an instant the figure was almost visible. She dimly took in dark eyes, dark hair, a kind expression..._

_And then, she was lifting herself from the floor, wincing at the pain and stiffness coursing through her legs, throwing herself towards the light..._

Ginny leapt awake, her chest heaving as she gulped for breath. She sat up from where she was curled on the bed, putting a hand to her chest in anxiety. She closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Lying back on her bed, she continued to inhale deeply. A breath in, a breath out, a breath in, a breath out...

And she fell, once again, into slumber.

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A/N Well, what did you think of that chapter then? I know, I know, it was a bit short, but it's like a red sky at night means good weather the next day (or whatever) – a short chapter means a longer one next time! Anyways, I'm sorry it was short, but oh well. Also, can you guys tell me what you thought of her dream? I'm just kind of proud of it that's all.  : D

**Crystal Megan** – 1. I know it wasn't a flame, don't worry about it! Constructive criticism is good. And yeah, the beginning was probably a bit boring, but it was worse before I added the dream. It started with he breakfast bit. But once again I must stress (This isn't an excuse!) I was bored when I started this and that was the only reason this was born. I posted it against my better judgement. And seeing as two people have now said the beginning was boring, I might re-rewrite it, lol! And Mondays are bad for 5th year Gryffindors because they have potions with the Slytherins first thing – wouldn't that depress you if you were her?! And yes, they really were quite mean at the end, weren't they? I like that bit too. 

2. Yeah, my family's a bit of the wall, lol! And yeah, what's with all the holes in things, and the pipes and stuff? It's all confusing as far as I'm concerned. And yes, Pirates of The Caribbean! ::drool::. Anyways, thanks for reviewing.

**HiddenintheAbyss** – I apologise profusely that I haven't updated sooner, but life is very busy! And thank you for not murdering more than twice, and bringing me back to life! Just please don't murder me again, it's not friendly, lol! Anyways, hopefully you like this chapter too, and thanks for reviewing.

**cashew** – Um, yeah, I updated... ::looks around for nearest safehouse:: Nah, I'm just kidding. I'm glad you're so happy I updated. I feel special, lol! And you really think this was the greatest chapter? Wow, that's strange, cuz like I said, I didn't really like this one much at first. But it's probably cuz it's my story, lol! And yes, she got attacked by teenage girls with make-up! I laughed so much when I read that bit of your review! And yes, your plan _is genius. Let's give it a codename...hmmm, how about 'Escapism of School Through Cultural Awareness'? Okay, that totally sucked and makes me sound like a mad person, lol. We've still got 'Ignition Remix' playing on the radio, and I hadn't even heard of that 'Snake' song till you said! And yes, many of his songs are retarded, as all they talk about is women. Humph. The guys who sit beside me in English PERMANENTLY sing 'Ignition' and when you turn round and tell them to shut up they just sing louder! Argh! Anyways, here is my update and sorry it took so long! Later, and thanks for your review._

**Mel** – I thought you were gonna say you hated it at first, but then I saw the other bit and that thought left my head, lol! Hopefully my update didn't take _too long (okay, it did), but anyways, thanks for such a...positive review – it's appreciated!_

Well, hopefully you all liked this chapter, and now you know what you have to do, lol! Press the little 'okay' button down there and leave a review!


	14. Confusion

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Okay, I've started this chapter right after I've finished chapter 13, so hopefully you'll all get a quick update! I'm going to try HARD to make this one long, and I think I will do so, because some stuff that is quite important will happen in this chapter (if I don't forget about it, lol!). Anyways, not much to say, so here we go – chapter 14 (Eek!).

A/N2 The extract from 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' is written by J.K Rowling. I'm not making any money from writing it down, so don't sue! No, really, don't!

~ means a voice in Ginny's head speaking to her

'blah blah blah' means Ginny thinking (without the blah blah blah!)

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_'...The Chimaera is a rare Greek monster with a lion's head, a goat's body and a dragon's tail. Vicious and bloodthirsty, the Chimaera is extremely dangerous. There is only one known instance of a successful slaying of a Chimaera...'_

Ginny jotted down the notes onto the parchment with her quill, careful not to spill any ink on the volume in front of her. Her table was sheltered from the rest of the library, surrounded by lots of bookshelves, and she quietly worked away on her Care of Magical Creatures homework, looking for the most interesting beast she could find. She flipped back to the index, looking for another reference to the Chimaera as someone sat down further along the table. She flicked pack with a page number, running her finger down the page until she found it. She read the first few lines, her eyes running along the page, but she quickly frowned, sighing and closing the book.

"What to do..." she murmured under her breath.

"You could try this one?"

Ginny looked up at the sound of the voice, and saw that the person along the table had spoken.

"Oh, thanks Amy," she said, taking the book she had passed her. Amy McGuire smiled and pushed her glasses further up her nose.

"No problem"

In her large brown glasses and oversized robes, Amy wasn't the prettiest girl in Hogwarts, but Ginny was prepared to bet she was one of the nicest. She was a fifth year Hufflepuff (although she was often mistaken for a first year) with fluffy brown hair and brown eyes, and the temperament of a saint. Ginny didn't see her that much, as they didn't have many lessons together, but they'd say 'hi' in the halls and talk sometimes. Other than that she didn't seem to be around much.

"So," Ginny said, opening the index and scanning the 'Cs'. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Amy replied, doing the same with her own book. "Life's going on just the same as always. Oh, that reminds me...I haven't seen you since, well, before..." Amy trailed off, looking uncomfortable. Ginny forced a weak smile.

"It's okay Amy. It's been four months already, so...Obviously I'm not going to get over it straight away, but I'm getting better. Anyway, hows..."

Ginny waved a hand in the air, trying to remember the name. Amy grinned.

"Lucy? She's fine. Just as annoying as always, but she's even worse now that she's graduated. And the boys! My God, she's in a sticky situation right now. She's going out with this boy, right, and she loves him to bits. But then there's this other boy. She's known him since she was a kid, and they've always hated each other (believe me, I've seen it), except now...well, _he wants to go out with her, but __she doesn't know what to do because __she says she thinks she loves him __and her boyfriend"_

Ginny was dimly aware that her breathing was coming quicker than it needed too. God, it was like Amy's sister Lucy was in _exactly the same situation as herself...well, except for the whole 'loving the other boy as well' thing._

_~Are you sure?~_

'Shut up' Ginny told the voice in her head, trying to act normal so Amy would stop staring at her like she was weirdo.

"Uh...poor Lucy. I wouldn't like to be in her situation. Oh no, sir-ee" she replied, forcing herself to smile, all the while thinking 'God, I sound like an idiot'

"No...," Lucy replied, her eyebrows raised. "Well, anyway, I was talking to her, and guess what she told me?"

"What?" Ginny asked, momentarily forgetting her embarrassment as she leant forward to hear what Amy had to say.

"That she would follow her heart! Now, I'm all for romanticism, but that was just corny. I mean..."

Ginny tuned Amy's voice out of her head as she slowly sank back down onto her seat. Great, so Lucy was going to follow her heart. That really helped Ginny. If she followed her heart she would go to Thom, because there was no way on earth that she was ever going to love Draco. Come on, she hated him! Her heart fluttered with _fright_ every time she saw him, not love...it couldn't be love.

She leant back in her chair, exhaling and blowing her hair up around her forehead. This was all too complicated...

"...Well, anyway, I have to go now, so I'll see you around, yeah?"

Ginny jerked her head round as the sound of Amy's voice once again penetrated her skull.

"Uh...yeah, I'll see you" she replied, giving a half-hearted wave as Amy slung her bag over her shoulder and left. After packing up her own things, she slumped in her chair, wishing that the floor would swallow her up so she didn't have to think about it all. Every thing was way too complicated and difficult and tricky for her to try and sort through it all.

"Why me?" she said out loud, looking at the ceiling. "Why is it me who gets the complicated life?"

"Because you just do?" Draco said, sitting across from her. Ginny stared for a second in disbelief, before scowling at Draco with such vehemence his smirk wavered for a second. But it was only a second, and then it was back on his face again.

"What, not happy to see me?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow, drumming her fingers on the table.

"Obviously not then. I wonder why..."

Ginny stopped listening, all the while still drumming her fingers on the table. She had managed to straighten when he had appeared, but now she was having trouble doing what she knew she should have done straight away.

Leave.

It was like she had been glued in place with an Unstickable Sticking charm. She was trying to move, trying to get away, but she couldn't. She tried with all her might to get herself to leave, but it was practically impossible. But that wasn't the scary part. The scary part was that she felt like half of her wanted to stay anyway. And that terrified her. She clenched her fist on the table top, trying to move, but it wasn't working.

"Hey, are you even listening?"

Draco's voice broke her out of her reverie, and she scowled at him, still desperately trying to move. "No. Why should I? All you're going to do is say horrible stuff about me"

Draco put a hand to his heart, an expression of pretend-sadness on his face. "Oh, your words cause me so much pain" he said, his voice carrying a nasty mock-wounded tone.

"Yeah, well, when you have a heart of stone, words don't do much harm" Ginny replied, glaring at the table as she waited for his comeback. And waited a bit more and a bit more and a bit more. Finally, she looked up, to see him leaning back in his chair, hands behind his hand as he smirked at her with an odd expression on his face.

"What?" she said, folding her arms and leaning back just the same as him. She wasn't going to let him faze her, and her resolution had been hardened by her tears four days previously.

"It's just...you, Ginny Weasley, are _weird"_

"Oh, thanks," Ginny said, scowling even harder as she tried to push away the feeling of upset rising in her chest. "Just hurt me some more"

And with one final shove, she rose to her feet, gave him a scalding look and picked up her bag.

"We must hurt to live, Ginny" he called after her, trying not to attract the attention and disapproval of Madam Pince.

"On the contrary Draco," she muttered under her breath, slipping through the door into the corridor. "Those who hurt can never live as well as those who love"

And even though it was just a whisper, intuition told her that he heard her.

///*///*///*///*///*///

Ginny sat on her bed, looking through her book once again for information on the Chimaera. Her parchment was now full of notes for her to take to the next lesson and show Hagrid, and she was pleased. But a little bit of last minute work wouldn't do her any harm, and besides, it would take her mind off of the 'Situation'.

"...Chimaera's are...particularly...vicious...with...no tolerance...for...humans...or...other beasts...of ...any kind...," she murmured to herself as she wrote it down on her parchment. "They are...one...of the...most...dangerous...beasts...known to...muggles and...wizards...alike..."

She paused for a second, looking back at the book, but just then the sound of tapping at the window distracted her, and she looked up to see one of the school owls waiting for her outside the window. Getting up, she walked over to the windowpane and opened it, moving to let the owl fly in past her. It landed on her bed and shook of it's wings, sending tiny droplets of water over her sheets.

"Oh dear," Ginny said, sitting down besides the owl. "That was a bit silly"

The owl eyed her contemptibly, ruffling it's feathers importantly as it held out it's leg for her. Ginny untied the letter, folding it out and scanning the page.

_Meet me at the top of the __Astronomy__Tower__ at __midnight_. Tell no one, and make sure no one sees this note. Wrap up warmly – it's going to be a cold night.__

She recognised the handwriting – it was Thom's. 'But why', she thought to herself, frowning as she read it through again, 'would he send me such a strange note and use one of the school owls?'

She frowned again, but, deciding not to think anything of it, she shrugged and folded the note back up. Getting out her wand, she whispered a spell, and the parchment went up in flames.

"Go on," she said to the owl, which had flown to the top of the mirror. "I'm not sending a reply"

Even though she had been relatively polite, the owl seemed to take offence at her dismissal, and once again ruffling it's feathers, it took out of the open window. Ginny raised an eyebrow before shaking her head, and going to get her cloak out of her trunk.

///*///*///*///*///*///

12:05

She was late.

Cursing under her breath, she sprinted up the last few steps to the astronomy tower and flung open the door, a smile fixed on her face. She looked around, wondering why Thom had not thrown his arms around her, to see an empty tower. The smiled faded from her face as she moved forwards onto the windy turret, turning around and wondering where he was.

"I can't be _that_ late..." she murmured under her breath, wrapping her cloak more tightly around herself as a particularly cold gust of wind blew through the tower.

"Well you're not exactly early, are you?"

Ginny stood still for a second, not quite ready to believe what she had just heard. Slowly, she turned her head, her body following along, until she was facing the direction of the voice, and then she gradually raised her head, until the owner of the voice was in full view. That was when it hit her.

"Oh My God. Oh my _God!_ What the _hell_ are you _doing here? And where in God's name is Thom?" she cried, practically dancing around the top of the astronomy tower in anger. Draco just watched her with a conceited smirk on his face, his arms folded across his chest. "Wait...,"_

Realisation dawned on her face. She swung round to face Draco, her anger clear on her face.

"Oh my god, you set me up. _You set me up! Oh my God, you are just...__Uggh!" she cried, actually stamping her foot on the ground in her frustration. She sat down on the observation bench around the edge of the tower, her elbow resting on her knees as she stared miserably at the wall, the wind whipping her hair around her face as it hit her from behind._

Draco, who had been watching her with his usual characteristic sneer on his face, sat down a little way along the bench from her, the sneer now gone and replaced by a face almost as annoyed as Ginny's had been a few moments before. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Draco opened his mouth to speak.

"How else was I supposed to get you up here?"

Ginny looked round at him, a mild frown adorning her face, but despite her silent objection, she felt it soften slightly when she saw his face. He was scowling at the floor like a spoiled child, slouching against the wall with both arms slung over the low battlements and one leg stretched across the floor. Despite her loathing of him, Ginny felt a slight twinge of sympathy a she took in his spoilt-brat expression. She waited for a few moments to see if he spoke again, but when he didn't, she spoke instead.

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_," Draco said, his voice matching his expression. "That if I hadn't faked Thom's writing and used a school owl, you wouldn't have come up here"

Ginny sat there for a second, slightly bewildered. She started to speak, hesitated, and then finally started again.

"But _why_ did you want me to come up here?"

Draco stayed silent, still staring at the floor with his brows furrowed. Ginny waited for a second, before sighing frustratedly and throwing her hands in the air.

"Look, if you're not going to say anything, what was the point of me coming up here in the first place? Why am I up here in a freezing February wind in a very thin cloak with someone I really _don't like in the middle of the freaking night?!"_

He stayed silent once again, and Ginny, beginning to get incredibly angry, was about to get up and leave, when at last he said,

"Because I don't know how to hate you anymore"

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A/N Okay, okay, I know I said it would be longer, but it just would have ruined it if I hadn't ended here. I was going to carry on from this bit, but when I read it through it just sounded sort of stupid carried on. Anyways, now you've got your first ever cliff-hanger from me, haven't you? ::grins evilly::

Oh yeah, and I've FINALLY discovered how to do all the formatting stuff! Wahoo!!!!

Now, you have to go and review, okay? Just press the little button

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	15. Revelations

Things Change 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Okay, sorry for the not so quick update, but I had a little hint of writers block with this, so please forgive me. Besides, I've had a hectic week. I went ice-skating for my birthday last Saturday – then I had the last three days of school – then I looked after my neighbour's dog. See. Hectic. Anyway, I left on a little cliffhanger last time, so, here is the continuation of that cliffhanger.

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Ginny paused, bewildered.

"…What?"

"Don't make me say it again Ginny," Draco said, his tone irritated. "It was hard enough saying it the first time"

"But...," Ginny said, her voice unsettled as she tried to grasp the situation. "But...what do you mean, 'you don't know how to hate me anymore'?"

Draco's scowl deepened.

"I mean what I said. Every time I see you, I find it increasingly difficult to hate you, to _loathe_ you even. And that can't happen. If I don't hate you, then what?"

Ginny paused, looking at Draco with her eyebrows raised and her mouth forming a small 'o' of surprise.

"Oh..." she said, the shock evident in her voice. Her hands clasped the edge of the bench tightly, the knuckles beginning to go pale with the tension. "Oh..."

"Look," Draco said, turning to confront her, a frown adorning his pale face. "Firstly, stop going 'Oh' all the time, it's irritating. Secondly, that's not all"

He paused, taking a breath before carrying on.

"Ever since that first night on the train…you know which one I mean…well, I can't stop thinking about you"

He paused again, staring at the stone floor with a deep scowl. The fierce wind was blowing his hair in his eyes, and if Ginny hadn't have been in so much shock, she knew she would have smiled at the picture. He stayed silent for a second, and Ginny was almost worried that he wouldn't continue, but then he took a deep breath and carried on, leaning forwards and rubbing his temples with long pale fingers.

"Firstly I was just thinking the usual stuff…you know, about your family and all, but then...every time I saw you I thought less and less about your clothes and your house and your poverty, and more about _you. Just…__you.It got worse and worse until...until I didn't know what to think anymore. I'd have to tease you and make fun of you every time you were in the same space as me, and it didn't matter how much I enjoyed it; it always left me with this odd…feeling in my stomach, like I was going to be sick or something. The act was becoming too much to handle, because every time I saw you, I felt what little hatred I had left draining away. Therefore, I no longer know how to hate you"_

He leaned back and crossed his arms, seemingly satisfied that he'd said his bit. Ginny stared at him in stunned silence; her knuckles were bleached white with strain as she gripped the bench for dear life. Her throat had stuck together with shock, and her breathing was shallow. Suddenly everything that she knew to be hard concrete truth had been turned upside down by the arrogant little boy in front of her. He had just told her that he, who had always hated her more than anything, no longer felt the same loathing for her that was shared by all Malfoys. And no matter how much the realization made her feel sick with loathing for her _own_ skin, she knew that she…that she somehow felt the same. No matter that her world was now leaning dangerously on it's side; she was just going to turn it over another 180˚ until it was completely upside down.

Ginny's eyes were wide as she still stared at Draco, her mouth still in it's little 'o' of astonishment. He just looked back, all previous emotion now wiped of his face, his expression impassive. Finally, Ginny found her throat beginning to unstick, and before she really knew what she was doing, she opened her mouth to speak, her voice almost a whisper.

"Me to"

Had it been any other time she would have enjoyed the feeling of superiority in shocking Draco Malfoy. Indeed, he was definitely shocked, because his eyebrows shot up and he completely lost his calm composure, almost falling off his place on the bench. But she couldn't feel superior right now, because she was too filled with surprise to make room for anything else.

"…What?" Draco asked, his voice rough and unsettled.

'Looks like our roles have reversed', Ginny thought to herself. She watched for a moment as he looked at her, his fists clenching and unclenching with an unconscious mannerism.

"Me to" she finally croaked again, her voice stronger this time. "Me to" she said once more, her voice clearer and louder again.

Draco blinked at her, pausing for a second before finally speaking.

"I guess this makes us even then"

Ginny nodded slightly, her curls bouncing a little as she looked at him from under her eyelashes. She could feel desperate tears beginning to well up in her eyes, and as soon as she blinked they spilled over, silently making their way down her cheeks. They both stayed silent for a second, before Draco slowly shifted along the bench towards her and moved forwards to touch her hand. Ginny flinched as his fingers met her aching knuckles and she reflexively leant back slightly, putting a little distance between herself and Draco. He didn't show any signs of hurt at this -- in fact he seemed relieved. All the same, more tenderly that she could have imagined, he gently prised her fingers from the bench and placed her hands together in her lap. Ginny looked up at him in quiet wonderment, silent tears still spilling from her eyes and down her face. Though his expression was as impassive as before, Ginny took some comfort from the fact that he, right at this moment in time, clearly felt as empty as she did. Neither knew what to do as rain began to fall from the dark sky, so they stayed silent, both thinking over what the other had just said.

All Ginny knew was that she felt utterly exhausted – but more than anything she felt…_empty_.

///*///*///*///*///*///

Ginny couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as Thom slid his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek the next morning. Still, she gave a weak smile and hugged him back, albeit a little stiffly. Luckily, Thom didn't notice, just smiled back as he collapsed next to her on the bench in the library.

"Hey"

"Hey" Ginny replied, turning back to her homework and silently cursing as Thom began to get out his own things. He leant forwards and pulled a book across the table towards him, flicking towards the index. It was an arithmancy book, she noticed. The cover was nice for a school book, a flowing design spelling out the words 'A Guide to Advanced Arithmancy' by 'Nynig Moth'.

'Nice name' Ginny thought to herself as she turned back to her own homework. 'Not'.

"You're kind of quiet Gin," Thom said after a few minutes, making Ginny turn sharply and smudge her parchment with ink. "Is something wrong?"

'Yes, it bloody well is', she thought to herself. "No, not at all" she replied instead, giving him another smile.

"Oh," he replied, shrugging. "You just seem…irritated. But maybe not"

"I'm fine Thom, really" Ginny replied, patting his arm reassuringly and stretching her fake smile into a fake grin. "Just a little tired". 

'Well, that part's true' she thought, breathing a silent sigh of relief as he shrugged and went back to looking up complicated equations. She shook her head slightly, and had just started to write again when Thom spoke.

"Oh yeah, I meant to ask you," he said, turning to face her and making her jump. Ginny nearly growled when she saw yet another ink splodge on her parchment, but didn't show it. "Seeing as it's Valentine's Day on Saturday, I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Ginny almost visibly deflated. Great, this was just what she needed. She just _couldn't_ go to Hogsmeade with Thom right now, especially not on Valentine's Day. The day before yesterday she knew she would have jumped at the chance to go, but now…now everything was _really_ messed up, and until things stopped being messed up, she knew things like this were out of the question. Her head was beginning to ache with frustration.

'Oh bloody hell,' she thought to herself, all the while trying to look like she was thinking her schedule over. 'An excuse…an excuse…'

"Um…well…," she said, trying to think up a plausible reason for not going. "…I'll…I'll have to see…I think I'm busy," she said finally, and she felt guilt rise in her chest as Thom's face visibly fell. She grabbed his hand in consolation, intertwining their fingers like he usually did. Her heart swelled a little at this, and Ginny gave a genuine smile. She longed so badly just to be able to collapse into Thom's embrace and kiss him…but she couldn't, and she hated it.

'Damned confusing life' she thought, withdrawing her hand from Thom's and standing up.

"Look, I've got to go, but I'll make sure to see what I'm doing, okay?" she said, putting her things into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll see you around"

"Bye" Thom said dolefully, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer. He kissed her gently and Ginny leant her forehead against his for a moment, before pulling away and walking towards the library door. She turned round in the doorway to see Thom once again leaning back over his book, checking something and then writing it down on his parchment, and she couldn't help but smile slightly.

Once outside in the corridor, she wrapped her robes more tightly around her, crossing her arms.

'That's weird,' she thought as she climbed up the stairs towards the common room. 'I swear it wasn't this cold when I went to the library'.

Shrugging it away, she carried on up the stairs, still feeling tired and noticing vaguely that her headache was getting worse. 'In fact', she thought, her pace slowing, 'It's getting pretty bad'.

She put a hand to her forehead, wincing as the pounding in her head got louder and louder. It seemed as though the sun had passed behind a cloud, making the corridor seem much darker, so much so that it was almost pitch black.

'That can't be right,' Ginny thought, blinking to clear her vision. And blinking again. And again. Panic began to set in on Ginny as she realised that her vision, instead of clearing, was clouding over. The sun hadn't gone in – her vision was becoming…_non-existent_. Everything was going black as the pounding in her head became louder and louder and _louder_. She put out a hand to feel for the wall, her bag sliding off her shoulder as she heard her things clatter to the floor. She felt weak, the tiredness in her limbs becoming completely out of control. She felt her knees buckling as everything went totally dark, the throbbing in her head completely taking over all thoughts. She felt a vague pain in her legs, dimly noting that she must have collapsed, before the world sank into complete darkness and a voice echoing in her head became the only world she knew.

_Ginny…_

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A/N So, how was that? An okay continuation? Please tell me what you think, as I would very much like to know! Also, I once again apologise for this chapter being updated so late, but as I said, I've had a long week, so. Anyways, next chapter will hopefully be up sooner, so cross your fingers for a quick update!

**cashew** – The guys who sing 'Ignition' in my ear would always throw paper at me and Okeanos, so we just threw it back. That was how we got our revenge, he he he. And yes, we have _lots_ of trouble making up good _short _codenames. Although our long ones are excellent of course! And thanks for the hangover writing compliment – as I said, I've never had a hangover myself but everyone says I'm pretty empathic, so. And btw, did I keep you in suspense long enough with the 'quick' update? He he, I'm evil. Really I am *cough* not * cough*. Your name is Amy? Wow, how freaky is that? I must be psychic. And I feel hers and your pain too! I look younger than everyone I know and it sucks! Especially as I'm _not younger! Btw, I feel really sorry for all the sk8er kids in your American high schools! Here you can't get more popular than a cute sk8er guy who plays guitar or the pretty sk8er girl who can sing and has long, toned legs. Being bitchy is also a big part of course. Of course, all the other sk8ers are popular too, which is a plus. Or at least they're more popular than other people. Oh, and that's another thing – the guy who plays the most sport in our whole year is a nerd, so basically it doesn't matter what group you're from if you play sport. Oh yeah, and another plus – most of the sporty people are _clever_! Shock, horror! A lot of the other sk8ers I know play sport too, but I'll tell you one thing – the guys in the band are the most popular. They are like, __wow, because loads of people think they're great. The guys from the band in our year are okay, as most of them are in my class. And now I'm sure _your_ day has been made by learning a little about _our_ school politics, lol! Anyways, I'll leave you here and stop giving you reason to run away screaming. Laters._

**HiddenintheAbyss** – Well, even though this chapter was probably pretty confusing, I hope you find your question partially answered. A lot of development on the Thom/Ginny/Draco/Whatever thing will probably be happening in the next few chapters, and you'll see where the plot is going. And the muderingness is very much forgiven, lol! Hope you don't mind on the long update, I'm very sorry! Thanx for the review.

**ennui** – Yep, the dream _is_ intriguing – I hoped it would be! I have to say that I am pretty proud of my hangover chapter, and I'm glad that lots of people liked it. Thanks for reviewing my story, as it's much appreciated.

**Okeanos** – Oui oui, tis mucho strange! Anyway, yeah, I liked that chapter too, and here is chapter 15. The wait is over, lol! See ya.

Thank you my wonderful reviewers! You have made me a happy reviewee, lol!


	16. Waking Up

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Well, apparently I evilly left you all a cliffhanger last chapter, so he he he. Hopefully for you, more random events that are mildly interesting will happen in this chapter, because I feel like it. Btw, as you can probably tell, I'm on a slight sugar high from eating too many biscuits. 

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The hospital wing slowly came into focus as Ginny opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her vision. She could feel herself gradually becoming aware of her limbs and torso once again as she squinted against the harsh sun, her eyes not quite used to the level of light after being shut for what was obviously a long time. She moved her fingers gingerly, then her toes, then her arms and legs.

'Well, everything seems to be in working order' she thought to herself, taking a few deep breaths to fill her lungs with air. Slowly, she put her hands down on the bed and levered herself up until she was sitting against the back of the bed, blinking again as the light from the window opposite really hit her. She looked around, feeling her neck twinge as unused muscles ached in protest. There were a few cards on the bedside table next to her, along with some bags of sweets – mainly Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.

"Why on earth do people give you those when you're ill?" she murmured to herself, looking up as she heard Madam Pomfrey bustling over to her.

"Up are we?" she said, putting a hand to Ginny's forehead with a disapproving look. "It's been long enough. Here".

She shoved a piece of chocolate into Ginny's hand. Ginny just looked at it, feeling sick at the thought.

"Eat up," Madam Pomfrey instructed in her typical manner, gently pushing Ginny forwards and plumping her pillows so she could lean on them instead of the metal rungs of the headboard. "You'll need it after being asleep so long"

"How long have I been in here?" Ginny asked as the chocolate began to melt in her grasp. The last thing she remembered was leaving the library and then everything started to get hazy after that.

"Three days," Madam Pomfrey replied airily, opening a large beaker of green potion and pouring it into a glass on the bedside table. Ginny gaped at her, all tiredness forgotten as she stared in shock (A/N Ginny seems to get shocked a lot these days, poor thing). Three _days?! That was longer than she'd ever slept in her entire life before! She suddenly became very aware of her acute hunger, and her stomach started to growl. She broke of a bit of the by now sticky chocolate and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly as she frowned at the floor. Almost immediately her tiredness started to drain away and the blurriness cleared from her vision as the healing powers of chocolate set in. She leant back against her pillows, lost in thought. If she'd been asleep since Friday, that meant it was…Monday today. Well, at least she'd miss double potions._

"Drink this" Madam Pomfrey ordered Ginny, handing her cup of green potion once she had finished the chocolate. "It'll help you get back on your feet faster, although it may send you back to sleep a couple of times during the day. And sit up straight, otherwise you'll choke"

Ginny looked at it apprehensively as she held it in her hand, but as Madam Pomfrey was standing there waiting for her to drink, she downed it in one, screwing up her face in disgust as the bitter liquid hit her tongue.

"Blegh!" she said, gratefully taking the glass of water Madam Pomfrey gave her and taking five successive gulps.

"I don't know what you expected. It's medicine, not a strawberry milkshake," Madam Pomfrey said with a sigh, placing the top back on the beaker and taking it away, along with the empty cup. "Really…"

Ginny ignored her as her voice faded away down towards her office, instead taking another sip of water from the glass. 

'The aftertaste's even worse than the potion', she thought, placing the glass on the bedside table. 'Silly hospital wing. _How I ended up in here again…'_

Actually, that was a question she needed answered. How _had she ended up unconscious in the hospital wing? Ginny put her fingers to her temples, trying to remember the events that had lead up to her collapsing. She had been in the library with Thom, doing homework…then she'd said she needed to go…she'd left, and then…_

Ginny sighed. After that, everything started to get hazy. She had a vague feeling that she'd been having trouble with a headache, but apart from that, everything was just a massive blur of colour. She leant back on her pillows again, staring at the ceiling. She had to try and remember…she had an indistinct feeling that it was important…

"Ginny! You're awake!"

Ron practically ran down the hall towards her bed, his bag flying behind him. He was closely followed by Hermione and Harry, although their pace was slightly slower.

"Uh, hi Ron," Ginny answered, slightly bewildered at his worried tone. "Nice to see you again"

"We've been worried about you Gin," he replied, sitting down on the chair next to her bed. "You collapsed for goodness sake! Did you think we wouldn't care or something?"

Ginny shrugged, her expression nonchalant. "C'mon Ron, I'm fine, really. It's not that serious"

"Not that serious?" Hermione said, sitting on the end of her bed. "You've been unconscious for three days Ginny; in my book that's pretty serious"

Hermione's tone was concerned and Ginny felt a rush of warmth for the girl. She shrugged again.

"I wasn't really _unconscious_…just deeply asleep is more like it"

Hermione gave her a disapproving look. "Well, you'd better stay in bed for at least another day, you hear me?"

"Who died and made you the resident healer?" Ginny asked, a grin playing across her tired face. She could see a smile tugging at the corner of Hermione's mouth, and she felt satisfied that making a worried Hermione Granger smile had been her good deed for the day.

"Oh, that reminds me," Hermione said suddenly, opening her bag and digging around in it. "Your friend Sope or Sofa –"

"Sophie"

"Right, Sophie, well; she gave me some of the homework you missed on Friday and today, as well as your books, so you can do a bit of catching up" Hermione finished, her expression pleased.

"Oh…," Ginny answered, eyeing the pile of parchment and large volumes of books she had dumped on the bed with a look of apprehension. "Thanks. Well, as long as it doesn't give me another headache –"

"Headache?" Harry interrupted suddenly, his tone serious.

"How many?" Hermione asked, her expression matching Harry's tone of voice. Ginny looked up at them both, bewildered.

"I – I've had a couple recently. Just one from my hangover" (A disapproving look from Ron) "and one on Friday, I think, when I was in the library. Why?"

Ron, Hermione and Harry exchanged dark looks.

"Nothing – we're just worried, that's all," Hermione replied, her gaze still on Ron, who was staring darkly at the bedcovers. Attempting a smile to cover up the awkward silence as Ginny gave them all a questioning stare, she said, "We don't want to you to get ill again"

'Oh really' Ginny thought to herself, crossing her arms defensively and nestling further down into her pillows. 'More like you're just hiding something from me'.

"Thanks for the homework anyway," she replied instead. "I'll do some when you've gone"

As if realising that the visit had come to a rather uncomfortable end, Hermione stood, 'subtly' indicating for Ron and Harry to do the same. "Well, um…get better soon" she said before practically running out of the room under Ginny's heated stare, Ron and Harry following close behind. She had a pretty god idea of where they were all going.

"Maybe they should just move into that blasted library instead of taking the time to run backwards and forwards from there permanently," she muttered to herself, leaning forwards and bringing the pile of homework closer to her. "History of Magic…Astronomy…Potions…DADA…Oh bloody hell, not more Potions…"

Opening her dog-eared copy of 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi', she began to do her potions homework.

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Ginny was woken once again by somebody pressing her hand to their lips. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Thom sitting in the chair by her bed. His eyes were closed and a worried expression adorned his face. She could feel her heart flutter the way it had wanted to do in days, and, feeling utterly hopeless at beating it, she gave in for once. She smiled, trying to sit up. Her movement alerted Thom to the fact that she was awake, and his eyes flew open.

"Ginny…," he breathed, his eyes lighting up, and she wondered briefly what she would do when she once more had to distance herself.

"Hey Thom," she replied, now fully sitting up again and leaning on her pillows. Her half finished potions homework had been placed neatly on the end of her bed, she noticed, probably by Thom. "How long've you been here?"

She yawned, the feeling of lethargy still wearing off. Thom edged the chair closer to her and leant on the bed, lightly grasping her hand.

"About ten minutes," he replied, a worried smile playing across his lips. "Madam Pomfrey told me not to wake you"

"Not to wake me? I've been asleep for three days already; I doubt being woken from a nap is going to have dire consequences for my wellbeing"

Thom laughed a little, his smile widening into a grin. "Even in the hospital wing Ginny Weasley can still crack jokes"

"I'd hardly call it a joke; more like a way from stopping myself going crazy. I'm not used to being stuck in a bed all day," she replied, casting a helpless gaze around the room. "I'm getting thoroughly bored"

"Well, I'll have to make sure you no longer feel that way," Thom answered, kissing her hand. "I'll entertain you!"

"What a bore" a familiar voice said, breaking into the little bubble surrounding Ginny and Thom. Draco had stopped short of the foot of Ginny's bed, his face uncharacteristically hidden by his silvery hair. His eyes were grey slits, staring at them both maliciously. Ginny froze, her cheerful expression disappearing. She looked back at him with an unreadable expression, completely still.

"Get out of here Malfoy" Thom said defensively, his face angry.

Draco stayed silent for a moment, before saying, his tone impassive, "See you around Ginny".

He was still looking at Ginny, and fleetingly it was as if something had passed between them; but then it was gone, and he turned on his heel and headed for the door. When he had vanished through it, Ginny let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and turned back to Thom. But the moment had been destroyed and now Ginny had unconsciously put up all her barriers again. She was once again unreadable.

'Poor Thom,' she thought fleetingly. 'He doesn't have a clue'

"What the hell was he doing here?" Thom asked, breaking through her reverie with his words. "It's not like he needed anything"

"Hmm…," Ginny replied, not really listening. She had been thinking the same thing. If Draco had come all the way up here from the Slytherin common room – which was in the dungeons – why had he just gone straight back out again when he saw her and Thom? Unless…unless…

"Well," Thom said, getting up and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I have to go – I've got potions next and, well, you know what Snape's like…"

"Sure, sure," Ginny replied, tearing herself from her thoughts and looking up at Thom. She gave him a half-hearted smile and briefly squeezed his hand. "You go on; I'm not keeping you"

"Oh, okay" Thom said, his tone slightly dejected.

'Oops,' Ginny thought. 'I could've worded _that better'_

"See you," she replied instead, letting go of Thom's hand and half-smiling up at him. He smiled back, albeit a little disconcertedly, before turning and leaving through the door. Ginny sighed, slumping back on her pillows. She didn't know what was going on – Thom, Draco, Thom, Draco, Thom, Draco…both names kept swirling around in her head.

'But why?' she asked herself, confused. '_Why are they both swirling around in your head?'_

She fell asleep contemplating the answer.

 ///*///*///*///*///*///

_…"Choices are very important child," Professor Trelawney was saying, her overly large shawl flapping in the fierce wind as they sat in the middle of the forest clearing. "They shape the future…they shape it into what it will be, and what you will become because of it"_

_"But what if I don't know what to choose?" Ginny asked, sitting on the grassy floor with her legs crossed._

_"Questions, child, questions…they help you to decide!" Trelawney cried, and her shadow lengthened across the floor as the sun rose higher in the sky._

_The scene changed around her, colours spinning in an immense blur until they settled and bled into a landscape. It was a murky view of rolling hills, each bleached grey by the blanket of cloud overhead._

_"It lies out there you know," Ellia said behind her. She stepped forwards and placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "It may look bleak and grey, but the sun will one day shine here again"_

_"I know," she replied, watching the wind rustle the leaves in the trees. Ellia's hair was glinting blonde even in the dull half-light, and her eyes twinkled, their bright blue depths shining with wisdom. "I still have some hope"_

_They stayed silent for a few moments, before Ellia spoke again. "He will not harm you here" she said. "It isn't safe. Too many people protect this place, even though it is no longer as clear as it once was. You are safe here child"_

_"I know" she replied again, and the scene faded from view…_

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A/N Okay, how was that? I'm not putting too many samey things in here am I? Too be honest I'm actually quite worried about how people will react to this one. I was thinking that maybe everyone will hate it. Well, maybe that's a bit extreme – anyways…

**Lady Jade** – Thanks for the 'endearing' term, lol! Yeah, I just had to leave it at a cliffy! I've never done one before, so it was my first try. And yes, I totally agree with the whole unrealism of two people who hate each other suddenly falling madly in love. And I apologise for the lack of D/G action! Thanks for your review. 

**cashew **– Wow, you left a review like literally five minutes after I put the chapter up! And I'm glad that I stopped your household from becoming a grumpy war zone, I so know what you mean. I am _not_ a morning person, lol! Oh, and yes, even though I changed my summary (again) I would mucho appreciate it if you gave me your version – it's most likely a lot better! Hmm, I've never left a cliffhanger before – it's nice to know I do it so well! Everyone's been saying I'm evil *sniffle sniffle* because I left you all with an _evil_ cliffhanger. And yes, who is after Ginny, only I know the answer he he he – wait, I'm not even sure if I _do_, lol! Oh, and another thing – the sk8ers I know _actually own skateboards!_ Dun dun dun! And yeah, they're pretty popular – but then again we all hang out as one group. During lunch break there are usually about 50 of us spread out on our part of the grass – quite a few. And I enjoyed reading about your school politics too. It was interesting. Laters, and thanks for reviewing (again!)

**tay **– okay, your reviews have taken up like a page and a half. Yeah, classic Ginny-is-left-out-she-gets-no-attention story, but I like it. And I got the Tarot reading from my own deck, and I have this little book that goes with it. I try not to use the book too much, but it comes in handy, lol! Hmm, Mortly is kind of an offence to the human race isn't he…And there was no way I was going to having Ginny even think about his looks yet. She knows he's good looking – it's common knowledge. And I think I explained Guy Fawkes Day/November Fifth/Fireworks Night somewhere in one of my authors notes. And thanks for the enthusiasm on the whole D/G action thing, lol! And can I say one thing – OMG you have SO MANY HOLIDAYS! We have like five or something – I can't remember. Anyways, I will never sue somebody who leaves me loads of review, lol! I'm glad you like Amy too, as she's kind of kewl, huh? Anyways, thanks for the many reviews, lol!


	17. Giving In

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Okay guys, sorry that this has taken a little longer than usual to update – first I had writers block, and then, when I did write something, my computer lost it. Now wasn't that handy? Well anyways, I finally managed to get over my writers block and come up with a decent way to put this chapter out, so I hope you like it.

A/N2 Okay, if there are, like, loads of letters on the end of a word it's because the person saying it is whining really badly and elongating all their words. I hope that's not too confusing.

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It felt strange walking through such a deserted place as Hogwarts was today. Even the pictures on the wall seemed to be constantly snoozing; something Ginny hadn't seen in all her time at Hogwarts. But then, she'd never been inside the castle during a Hogsmeade trip on Valentine's Day. Hardly anybody had missed out on the opportunity to go out for the day – apart from the second and first years of course, and the unlucky few that, like Ginny, had to stay indoors.

"I won't have you collapsing again," Madam Pomfrey had said as Ginny sat on the hospital bed in her uniform, ready to return to school life. "And Hogsmeade won't do you any good, especially on a day like Valentine's Day"

So Ginny had been condemned to a day of skulking round the castle by herself, utterly bored. Thom had offered to spend the day with her, but she had managed to dissuade him from doing so, and he had reluctantly agreed to go in with friends instead.

'It was only because I wanted him to have fun', she had reasoned to herself afterwards, but she knew it was really because she wasn't sure if she wanted to spend the day with him or not. She knew what Thom wanted (A/N Make-out time!), but she didn't know if she wanted it too. So now she was wandering the halls alone, checking her watch every few minutes to see how much closer it was to five; how much longer it was until she was joined by the rest of civilisation.

She emerged at the top of the grand staircase (A/N Is it called that?) and was about half way down when she saw something move in the corner of her eye. She looked to her left and saw a painting she had never really noticed before hanging above the stone banister on the wall. It depicted a girl of about Ginny's own age, sitting in a library and surrounded by books. She was very pretty; petite like Ginny was, with fine blond hair to her chin and bright blue eyes. The picture had been painted quite close up so that the girl was clearly visible from the waist upwards, and the small, fine details of her robes were plainly discernable. They were school robes, much like the ones in Ginny's own wardrobe, but the symbol emblazoned on the chest was silver and green, with a little serpent coiled in the middle. Looking up, the girl noticed Ginny watching her and waved good-naturedly, her small mouth stretching into a pretty smile, before turning back to the book she was looking at and scribbling things down on the parchment in front of her. Ginny raised an eyebrow, thoroughly taken aback by the friendly disposition of the Slytherin in front of her.

'If only all of them were like that', she thought, shrugging to herself and carrying on down the stairs. She reached the bottom, jumping the last two stairs before crossing the entrance hall and heading down the corridor directly across from her, not really concentrating on where it would take her. She ambled casually down the corridor, vaguely aware that she must be heading downwards because the passages were beginning to slope ever so slightly. She wandered around for another five minutes, enjoying the rare freedom of walking in Slytherin territory without being slaughtered, before she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps and voices. Looking around, she darted behind a suit of armour just in time, because who should appear just then but Draco Malfoy, followed closely by a whining Pansy Parkinson.

"Dracooo!" Pansy wailed, and Ginny couldn't help but notice Draco wince as he stopped and turned round to face the whiny girl. "Take me outtt! It's Valentine's Dayyyy"

"I've already told you Pansy; I don't celebrate Valentine's Day"

His voice was strained, as if he was making a mild effort not to explode right there and then, and he stood with his arms crossed in a gesture of defiance.

"But Dracieeeeeeee!" she wailed, actually stamping her foot on the stone floor. Draco raised an eyebrow, shaking his head.

"Look, Pansy – get over it, okay? Get Blaise to take you or something"

"But Blaise went with Emily Sandeeerrrs" she cried, tears now beginning to stream down her cheeks. She had screwed up her face, making her look even more pug-like. Draco just shrugged indifferently before turning and heading for the entrance hall. Pansy, sensing that crying wasn't getting her anywhere, delicately wiped her nose on her sleeve (if anyone could ever call Pansy delicate) and followed him. Ginny waited a second or two for their footsteps to fade away, before letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and looking out from behind the suit of armour.

"Eavesdropping won't get you anywhere love…" it croaked gruffly before falling silent again. Ginny nodded slightly, not really paying attention. She was looking at the way Draco and Pansy had disappeared with a slight frown. Sighing, she at down on the floor beside the armour, one knee drawn up to her chest and the other stretched out on the floor as she sat and thought. All day she had been putting off thinking about the Thom/Draco situation, but now she saw she didn't really have any choice but to mull things over. It had been over a week since she'd gone to the astronomy tower and seen Draco, and she couldn't put off the impending situation any longer. Sooner or later she would have to talk to him again – she knew that. She just wasn't sure what she would say. Hell, she had _no idea _what she would say. She stared vaguely at the wall, lost in a world of her own and not concentrating on how many minutes were passing. She only heard the footsteps when a pair of black shoes came into view, along with ankles covered by equally dark trousers. Ginny knew who it was without looking up.

"Draco" she said quietly.

His reply was to hold out his hand to help her up. She took it without question, faintly registering the shiver that travelled down her spine as their fingers touched. He let go as soon as she was standing, but he didn't leave. Indeed, he didn't do anything; just stood there and looked at her. She looked back, neither knowing what to say. They were once again stuck in their strange limbo between enemies and friends. Thirty seconds passed, Forty-five, a minute…

"We need to talk" she said finally, breaking the spell as she looked at the floor.

"I know" he replied, and in the back of her mind Ginny realised that his usual malicious tone had been replaced by something that she'd never heard before.

"Well…," she said, putting her hands in her pockets and not looking up. "Um…"

"Ginny," he interrupted, his voice surprisingly gently. "Look at me"

She paused for a second, undecided, before reluctantly raising her head. Their gazes locked, and thankfully the world didn't spin too badly, although her stomach began to do somersaults. Then, to her complete surprise – and by the look on his face, Draco's as well – he reached out and touched her cheek.

_~Do you love him?~_ a voice in her head uttered, a whisper in her mind.

'I don't know,' she answered truthfully. 'But…'

_~If you do, then show him~_

And Ginny, a small, sad smile forming on her face, reached up and placed her hand over Draco's. Electricity seemed to sparkle where their hands touched, and Ginny knew she was trembling. But it wasn't these things that made her feel as if the whole world had caved in on itself – it was Draco's expression. For once in his life, there was no spite or cruelty in his face – a trace of contention, but that was all. No, the expression on his face was amazement more than anything else. And then, as if it was his body taking control from his mind, long unused muscles stretched into what could only be called a smile. Ginny had the distinct feeling that he didn't even realise he had just shoved aside a long-standing reputation in front of one of his longest enemies.

"This is some talk we're having…" Ginny murmured, her eyes fixed on his face.

"Mmm…" Draco replied, his voice fading into nothing as their lips touched.

///*///*///*///*///*///

They stayed standing for God-knows how long, just holding each other as if the world would end when they separated. Her face was pressed to his chest, her arms around his waist as she breathed in the cleanness of his shirt. She felt secure in his arms, knowing that he could smell the cinnamon in her shampoo. She felt completely drained, and not just because of the 'tiring' experience she had just had, but because of the emotions and inhibitions she had just let go of. Throwing her pride to the wind and acknowledging the fact that she cared for one of her deepest enemies was surprisingly exhausting.

She mumbled slightly in protest as Draco began to pull away, reluctantly letting him go and half-expecting everything to come crashing down as he did so. But no, the world stayed standing, even though she felt as though she might fall over.

"We still haven't really talked…" he murmured, and Ginny could hear the fatigue in his voice.

"Mmm…," She stretched, yawning slightly. "What are we going to do?"

He looked at her, tilting his head to the side as he grasped her hand. It felt strange to have him touching her so openly, but she would get used to it eventually. Still, she was mildly thankful that he wasn't quite ready to be completely intimate; holding hands and hugging all the time wasn't something she was ready for with him.

"We need to talk about a certain…someone," Draco replied. His face seemed unreadable, but Ginny could see the small hint of hesitation in his eyes, but she didn't need him to tell her who he meant.

"Thom"

"Yeah…Where does that stand?"

"I don't know," Ginny replied. "I don't even know where _we stand; I need that first"_

"Ginny…," he protested, but it wasn't very strong. "Well…where do you want us to stand?"

"We can't stop this now," she replied, taking his other hand so that now he had both of her hers. "We've…something is happening between us; you know that. We can't ignore it, but at the same time…,"

She paused to think. "This is too big for the world to handle – hell, we can hardly handle it ourselves. I think that maybe…"

"We should keep this secret," he finished for her, nodding. "That was going to be my plan-of-action too. So now you know where we stand"

"Yes," Ginny said, her gaze flicking to the floor for a moment before it went back to Draco. "I…I think that perhaps, me and Thom should…finish"

Draco nodded slightly, keeping his gaze locked with hers. "Okay"

Ginny smiled tearily, putting a hand to Draco's face and kissing him chastely on the lips. He pressed his forehead to hers, the tips of their noses touching.

"This _will_ be alright" he said, and Ginny could tell it was as much to calm himself as it was her. "It'll be alright"

///*///*///*///*///*///

Ginny found Thom after dinner that night in the entrance hall. His face lit up at seeing her, and Ginny felt a huge pang of guilt as he practically bounded towards her, smiling.

"Hey Gin," he said, sliding his arms around her and kissing the end of her nose. Ginny closed her eyes momentarily, before opening them and gently sliding from his grip.

"Hi Thom," she said, and she was surprised at how raspy and tired her voice sounded. Thom's face immediately became concerned, and he said, "Are you alright Gin? You haven't been ill again have you?"

His voice was anxious, adding to Ginny's intense feeling of guilt, but she pushed it aside, thinking to herself that it was for the best. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Thom started before she could.

"I _knew_ it was a bad idea to leave you here on your own all day," he said, looking angry with himself. "I should have stayed here – I knew it!"

"Please Thom, don't beat yourself up about it" Ginny protested, laying a hand on his arm. He looked up at her frowning.

"Sorry Gin, I'm just…It's Valentine's Day, and I should never have let you convince me to leave you here on your own all day"

"Thom…," Ginny said, her tone slightly reproving. "Don't worry about it. It's not like we had anything special…"

"Oh yeah, that reminds me!" Thom interrupted suddenly, fishing in the pockets of his robes. "There!" he cried triumphantly, holding up a small brown package in his palm. "Your present!"

"Present?" Ginny repeated weakly, disbelievingly. 'This could _not_ happen at a worst time', she thought miserably, trying to look happy as Thom presented her with the small parcel.

"Uh…thanks," she said, taking the small thing and tearing off the paper. Inside was a small muggle jewellery box.

'Oh God…' she thought, opening the box. Inside were a tiny pair of silver Udjat earrings, pretty much identical to her necklace; there were even two tiny diamonds set into the pupils.

"Oh my…" she breathed, her gaze fixed on the beautiful studs in front of her. "These are…these are beautiful". She looked up at Thom in wonderment. "Thank you"

"Anything for my favourite girl" he replied, smiling again as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. It was only a chaste little kiss like the one she had given Draco, and yet it still felt wrong; but she couldn't pull away. Thom hugged her to him, smiling. He was talking – she was faintly aware of that – but she wasn't really listening. She was too busy trying to hold back unwanted tears.

She couldn't finish with Thom now, not after he had given her such a wonderful gift and seemed so…happy. She just couldn't do it – she wasn't the sort of person who could do that to someone.

///*///*///*///*///*///

"Ginny?"

Draco looked surprised when he emerged out onto the top of the astronomy tower – he had good reason. Ginny was sat on the bench, her head in her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks. Walking over, Draco sat next to her on the bench and then he hesitantly took hold of one of her hands. Gratefully she clasped onto it, great racking cries making her petite form shudder.

"I couldn't do it" she sobbed. "I tried but I just couldn't. He…I …"

"Gin…" Draco murmured, holding onto her hand with both of his. "Don't cry…This…don't worry…"

She leant against him, seeking comfort in his warm embrace. He paused for a moment, as if undecided, before tentatively putting his arm around her. She pressed her face into his chest, her cries muffled by the fabric of his cloak and the raging wind as he held her, all her thoughts on seeking comfort from the young man who was uncertainly holding onto her. She needed him to be there, to hold her and tell her things would be okay. Right now she needed him, because she loved him.

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A/N So…what did you guys think?! They _finally got it together! Are you all happy now? I hope so, because I'm pretty happy with this myself. It's okay – which for me is definitely good! Anyways, hope you all liked this chapter. Oh and sorry that I haven't done the shout-outs in this chapter, but I haven't checked out my reviews yet. But they'll be here next chapter, don't worry!_


	18. One Step Forwards

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Okay, some people have said that they wanted a little fluffiness in this chapter, and I, thinking that perhaps my characters deserved it, _may_ provide some. Aww, I'm so nice ^_^. Anyways, as they _finally_ got together last chapter, expect D/G-ness in this chappy!

A/N2 Okay, I do _not_ own _The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul or the__ late_, _great Douglas Adams, so don't sue – I mean it._

A/N3 Seriously though, everyone should read that book. Although you have to read _Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency _beforehand, because that comes first. (And no, I don't own _that one either)_

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Opening her eyes, the sudden change of scenery and the brightness of it all almost blinded Ginny. She peered closely at the strange…_whiteness surrounding her, her brows furrowed. It was all encompassing, like a room, except that as far as she could tell there were no discernable walls or ceilings or floors. It was just one great, big…_whiteness_ which she seemed to be floating in. Well, it didn't feel like she was floating, but she must be if there was no ground. She reached out a hand to see if there was anything solid, but all there was were small tendrils of the white, fog-like substance trailing through her fingers._

"Strange…" she murmured, noting that her voice didn't echo; meaning there were no solid surfaces around for quite a distance. She was about to try the other hand when suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice filled the 'space' she was in. It sounded far away, but perfectly clear at the same time – near and far, young and old, kind and cold.

"A month has passed…" it murmured into the air, fading away in the silent seconds that passed. Then,

"And the last success belonged to me…"

It was different, this voice. It was much like the other one, yet no trace of kindness could be found in the tone, and it spoke as if gloating over some victory as yet unknown to any living thing.

"But it was countered…remember that…"

There was a pause, longer then the last, as if the other voice was thinking.

"The score is even – but it will not stay that way for long…the girl is fading, the others along with her. I will soon have their minds within my hold, and then…"

"The world will fall…," It was the first voice now, it's tone sad and regretful as it replied. But when it continued, it was stronger, more hopeful. "And yet, she is still strong…her will is not yet corrupted"

"Keep your dreams then…but I will triumph in the end, and I will have my way. Your one hope is fading fast; drifting from the ones she loves…It will not end well…for you, of course…"

The last comment resounded with malicious gloating. A pause followed once again, until at last the kind voice spoke.

"She will grow to love him, and he will love her in the end; then where will you stand? The others are not yet lost, and neither are they. Take care their power does not destroy you…Remember my last warning?"

"Your words do not tend to haunt me…," The cruel voice replied. "But yes…I remember"

"Then it is done…"

All at once a humming noise began to fill Ginny's ears; it was quiet at first and then it got gradually louder and louder and louder until Ginny had put to her hands over her ears to block it out. She closed her eyes, screwing up her face in agony as the pain got worse; it felt as though her head was going to explode…perhaps she was going to die.

Ginny sat bolt upright in bed, a hand to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. It was dark in the dorm, not much light coming in through the window because of the dark clouds rolling ominously across the sky and obscuring the moon. Feeling her breathing slow down, Ginny leant over and retrieved her watch from the edge of the bedside table. 1:11.

'Hmm. Strange' she thought sleepily, yawning and putting the watch back down. Nestling back down into her covers, she closed her eyes, and within moments was asleep again.

///*///*///*///*///*///

Quickly checking the corridor was clear, Ginny hurried towards the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, her school bag flying behind her.

'Ooo, good, he's already here,' she thought, glancing hastily behind the man-sized vase and seeing the usual copy of 'Unfogging the Future' behind it. Swiftly retrieving the book, she felt along the wall for the hidden door handle and turned it as soon as her fingers touched the cool metal. It opened out into the usual nicely furnished sitting room; the two sofas sat facing each other by the fireplace and the cupboards and sideboard dotted around the walls gave a homely feel to the place, and the gently burning fire took away the cool March-time chill in the air. It was all rather beautiful really – she had decided that months ago – but most beautiful of all was the boy sitting on one of the sofas with a book in his hand. Smiling, Ginny padded over to him on the thick carpet and sat next to him on the sofa, kicking off her shoes and dropping her school bag on the floor next to her.

"Hello stranger," Draco greeted her dryly, his eyes still fixed on his book. Ginny grinned and fished her own book out of her bag, tucking her legs under her and opening it to the marked page. "You're not still reading that "_tea­­­­-time_" book are you?" he asked, still scanning the page of his own book.

"Yup," she replied, holding it up. "_'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul'. It's a good book – you should try it sometime"_

"Perhaps" he said, both of them knowing full well he never would.

"Oh well, it's your loss; it's a funny book"

"I know, I could hear you laughing"

"Oh ha ha" Ginny replied, grinning and nestling down into the sofa, her head resting on Draco's arm.

This was the usual routine – whoever got to the Room of Requirement first would open it and then perform a Disillusionment Charm, before hiding a copy of _Unfogging the Future_ behind the vase to let the other know the room was open. Ginny remembered the day they had decided to use the room as meeting place fondly.

_"We need somewhere…warmer to meet, you know," Ginny said, casting a glance around at the clearing of the forest. "This is all well and good, but it's against the rules and it's bloody freezing as well"_

_"Hmm…," Draco replied, resting his chin in her hair as she cuddled closer to his chest. "Well, if we did meet somewhere else we'd need to have the same amount of privacy as we've got now. It wouldn't do to have someone walk in on us when we were…busy"_

_"So is that all we're going to do in our spare time?" Ginny asked mischievously, smiling._

_"Well…" Draco answered, leaning back so he could see Ginny's face. "Perhaps not _all _the time"_

_"Good," she replied, smiling again and nestling close to him once more. "If we just had a room – a room that was nice and warm, and private too, with comfy furniture and bookcases and rugs and…"_

_She trailed off, her eyes wide. "That's it…," she said, leaning back and breaking free of Draco's embrace. "That's it!"_

_"What?" Draco asked, mildly confused, his brows furrowing in that cute little frown that Ginny loved so much. "What is it?"_

_"The Room of Requirement! It's perfect!"_

_Draco paused for a second, and then a grin spread slowly on his face, his eyes sparkling._

_"You, my dearest Ginny," he said, stepping closer and capturing her in another embrace. "Are a genius"_

_"Don't I know it," she murmured in reply just before he kissed her._

So from then on they had used the Room of Requirement as a meeting place. Opening the door for the first time, they had seen the same view they saw now, bar the few extra rugs that had slowly disappeared as the weather warmed. It had become their refuge from the world outside, and the people in it. Especially three particular people.

///*///*///*///*///*///

"Hello Ginny" Hermione greeted her as she sat down in the common room. She was sitting on a sofa with a large, thick book in her lap, reading.

"Hi Hermione" Ginny replied, curling up on the sofa and exhaling noisily. Her last hour with Draco had been…exhausting, to say the least, and she felt a little lethargic.

"Did you see that article in The Witching Times?" Hermione asked, naming the famous wizarding newspaper. She had put her book next to her on the sofa, meaning she actually wanted a conversation with Ginny.

'Nggggh' Ginny thought to herself, sitting up properly. 'I'm to worn out for a conversation'. "Which one?" she replied instead.

"The one about occlumency. I was reading it through and it was pretty interesting"

Ginny frowned a little, confused. What was occlumency again? She was sure she'd heard of it before.

"Isn't that…?"

"…The magical defence of the mind against external penetration. You know, that thing that Harry had to study last year. You were there when Snape asked to speak to him, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Ginny replied, remembering the rather strange Christmas she had spent in No.12 Grimmauld Place. "Why did you read the article? I would think you knew about it anyway"

Hermione suddenly began to look uncomfortable at this question, and she quickly tried to hide it by picking up her book and opening it again. "Oh…you know me…I was just looking for something to read" She said very fast, practically hidden behind the thick volume. "Still," she continued, her voice swiftly returning to normal speed and pitch, "I think you should read it. Here"

Ginny took the folded scrap of newspaper Hermione had fished out of her pocket, unfolding it and looking it over quickly. It seemed interesting enough.

"Thanks, I will read it" Ginny answered, smiling at her and putting the article in her bag. Hermione smiled back, looking relieved, and was just about to settle back down with her book when she was joined by the other two members of the Dream Team, both of them greeting Ginny briefly before turning their full attention on Hermione.

"Can we talk to you a second?" Harry asked, looking meaningfully at Hermione before adding, "In private?"

"Sure," Hermione replied, putting the book in her bag and standing up, immediately sliding her hand into Ron's. "Bye Ginny" she said, momentarily looking over her shoulder.

"Bye" Ginny replied, giving a half-hearted wave. "See you around"

'Oh well,' she thought, watching the three of them leave the common room, 'Life goes on'.

///*///*///*///*///*///

_"This interference is becoming too much," the figure said, pacing around the room. His hands were behind his back and his head down, the long, black cloak covering his skin. "We will have trouble succeeding if things carry on this way"_

_The figure's shadow, thrown across the room by the firelight, wrung it's hand and scurried towards it's master._

_"The plan will be completed, Master, have no fear. The intrusion by the boy is but a small glitch"_

_"I would hope so," the figure replied, his tone angry and malevolent. "I will not kill more than is absolutely necessary. As much as I enjoy my…leisurely pursuits" (here he threw a glance at the knives and various other torture devices displayed along the wall) "his death would draw too much attention. We must remain inconspicuous"_

_"Of course, Master, of course" the shadow agreed in it's snivelling voice, kneeling before it's master and grovelling on the floor. He threw a contemptuous look at the dark outline before sweeping past it towards a large, round crystal on the table. The figure picked it up, bringing the jewel to eye level where it began to glow red._

_"I wish to speak with you" he said in a cool, commanding voice, his gaze set in the middle of the gemstone.  The red light flared brilliantly for a moment before fading and turning bright, crystalline blue. The jewel seemed to come alive, vibrating and humming slightly, and then a voice, icy like the crystal itself, echoed around the room._

_"I am here. What do you desire to say?"_

_"I wish to ask you about the boy" the figure replied, turning towards the firelight and letting go off the crystal. It hovered in the air above his hand, pulsating faintly._

_"You know all you can about him," the voice replied. "You cannot know more than that"_

_"But he is interfering with my work," the figure answered, his tone slightly testy as he frowned. "This goes against what we agreed to"_

_"We never agreed to anything, my 'jeumeau' – you just assumed it would be so"_

_"But…but…"_

_The figure's voice was angry now, and the crystal's light was now edged with red. "But you –"_

_"– Watch over all things; yes. But I do not make deals with those who would seek to hurt them – especially those of great significance. It is as I told you. Do no harm to any of them – they are too important"_

_At last it seemed that the figure's anger had become too much. His face was red and a muscle twitched in his neck, but a gruesome yet calm smile stretched over his features. "You do not hold counsel over me" he said, his voice quiet with controlled rage. "And you have no physical body to haunt me in; therefore I have power you cannot contain"_

_"Do not defy my, jeumeau!" the voice cried in response, and for a moment the light in the crystal flared even brighter blue, immediately crushing the red light that had slowly been seeping into it. The figure seemed taken aback by the sudden outburst; indeed, the anger disappeared from his countenance to be replaced by a resigned cooperation._

_"It is not the way of things," the voice continued again, the tone softer and less sharp._

_"Then we shall go on as before?" the figure asked, his tone once again harsh and abrupt._

_"Indeed," the voice replied as the blue light began to fade from the crystal. "It shall be so…"_

_Then the blue light diminished completed, and the crystal was once again dark._

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A/N Okay, so what did you guys think? I admit that there wasn't that much D/G in this chapter, and I apologise for the shortness, but I've been pretty busy this week and I haven't had much time to write. Also, I had to change my name because of that new naming rule – I ended up being S.e.a5 instead of S.e.a, which majorly sucked, so I decided to change it. I'm now the one and only Shakespeare's Muse. Cool, huh?

Now, hopefully I got all of the reviews I was meant to have, but ff.net had been messing up loads recently, so I might not.

**Liz92** (Wow, he's Mister DreamBoat, huh? Glad you think he's cute, lol! And you do just say "Thom" as "Tom", but I always prefer weird spellings on names, so I put the 'h' in), **cashew** (Yeah, it was really weird, I got your message when I was still on the internet after posting. And thanks for the compliments on the new plotline, I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and your welcome – I'm glad you're no longer being tortured, lol!), **Tara-Yo (Thanks for your compliments on the story, they're much appreciated!), **Okeanos** (^_^ Yep, you have made the world record. Your reviews are about the size of a snitch on a diet)**


	19. Breathless

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!

A/N Right, just so you know, by now Ginny and Draco have been going out for about two months IN SECRET. This chapter is set during the Easter hols. I checked it out on the Harry Potter Lexicon and they do have one week for Easter holidays, where kids can get taken to Kings Cross and back on the train. So basically, Ginny has gone home on the train for Easter, but she's the only one.

Okay, last chapter was a little strange, I admit, and there wasn't much D/G, which I hope you can forgive me for, but no one's said they were confused, so. Anyways, I'm sorry for the long delay in updating, but I had a pretty bad case of writers' block.

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The scenery sped by as Ginny looked out of a window of the Hogwarts Express, her head resting against the wall next to it and her body curled into a ball on the seat. She had the carriage to herself – something she usually liked – but today she felt like having company. Drowning in her own misery was more enjoyable with a friend. But then, what friend did she have? The Fabby Four had disappeared off into a carriage with Seamus, Dean and some Ravenclaw boys – namely Ana's boyfriend Jack – and so Ginny had been left alone. Which meant she was thinking about two particular people when she _really didn't want to._

Firstly, there was Thom. After that first, _unsuccessful attempt to dump him, things had just sort of been left hanging in the air, with Ginny trying to divide her attention between her public boyfriend and her private one. Yes, it was true – Ginny Weasley had become a two-timing bitch. Although she __did at least have an excuse – the sheer abnormality of the situation. When you were going out with your family's worst enemy behind their backs and couldn't seem to be able to dump your first boyfriend, things were always a little strange._

'But I can't hide behind excuses all the time' Ginny thought to herself, staring at the rolling hills in the distance. 'I'm dating two boys at once – therefore, I am a technically a two-timer'.

But then it wasn't like Draco didn't _know she was still dating Thom. In fact, he didn't really seem to mind at all. Sure, he'd often send a scathing glance Thom's way when he was in the corridors (and many times just because Ginny was there too), but apart from that, he acted like everything was normal. And as much as it should have troubled her, Ginny really didn't mind. It was as if they had come to some unspoken agreement – the usual 'rules' of relationships had already been broken by the mere fact that Ginny and Draco were a couple (even if it was only in private), so if any other 'rule' was being broken, it really wasn't very important. The fact of the matter was that Ginny and Draco were a couple, and Ginny Thom were a couple too._

But she still got one of her by-now infamous headaches thinking about it.

And hours later, when the train arrived at Kings Cross and Ginny greeted her father, she was still turning the situation over and over again in her mind – all the way home in the car, all during dinner with the twins (who had come over to see how Ginny was), up until she fell asleep in bed that night. And in the end, she still didn't know what would happen in the end.

///*///*///*///*///*///

"Mum, I'm going now!" Ginny shouted up the stairs to her parents. She was dressed in her casuals – a pair of old jeans, a black skinny rib, and an old pair of black shoes that used to belong to George. It was her "I'm-in-casuals-and-I-don't-give-a-damn" outfit – one of her favourites. It meant she got to wear one of the only pieces of clothing she had that wasn't a hand me down; the black skinny rib.

"Okay dear!" her mother shouted back from upstairs, her voice muffled by the distance and walls between them. "Remember to get some groceries for me!"

"Sure!" Ginny replied, finding her jacket and door keys before heading out of the front door and shutting it behind her. Breathing in the fresh spring air, Ginny stuck her hands in her pockets and started the long walk down the hill to Ottery St. Catchpole, the local village. She'd been eager to get out of the house that morning and clear her head. She'd woken up that morning with the most horrendous headache she'd had in a long time, and even the muggle aspirin she'd resorted to after her mother's Wizzy Whizz Headache Potion had failed wasn't working, although it had calmed it down a bit.

Trying to ignore the now faint pounding in her head, she headed down the hill to the village high street, smiling politely and waving to the locals she saw in the street. Some smiled back, whilst others just scuttled past, looking back at her with wary expressions on their faces. Ginny just ignored them; she was used to people doing that. 

'Muggles can be so suspicious sometimes' she thought to herself, pushing open the door to the dim grocery shop and smiling at the grocer. Wandering over to the fruit, she started to look for the apples, grabbing a basket from nearby. Reaching out, she was about to grab one rather large, red one when suddenly her breath caught in her throat. She froze, her mouth open and eyes wide as her breath seemingly…stopped. Her eyes glazed over, blackness creeping into them as a shadow seemed to drop over her vision…

But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the feeling stopped and Ginny could breathe again. She did so, taking a few large, gulping breaths to get the air back into her lungs. Blinking to clear the blackness from her vision, she shook her head and looked back at the fruit, confused. What had just happened? Why had she stopped breathing? She shook her head again, momentarily closing her eyes once more and taking another breath, before going back to getting her mother's groceries.

The rest of the shopping trip past uneventfully; she finished getting the fruit and vegetables, paid the grocer, and even had time to pop into the local bookstore and buy a book ('_Old Magic'by Marianne Curley) before beginning the trek back along the high street and up the hill – only this time she had two full bags of groceries and a book to carry too. Halfway up the hill she stopped for a rest, sitting down on the edge of the road and setting her bags down beside her. She put her fingers to her temples, rubbing them steadily to try and rid herself of her headache (again). Apparently the mild noises of the village had been enough to make it even worse than before, the pounding in her head now making her feel slightly faint. She sighed, looking off into the distance at the hills and countryside going on for miles around the house and village, broken here and there by the odd church steeple of a nearby town. _

'I love it here…,'she thought to herself, leaning back on the grass verge. 'It's so beautiful…

_~Yes…~_ said a voice in her head. _~It's a pity you'll never see it again…~_

Ginny's eyes went wide and she put a hand to her throat as it tightened again, shutting off her airways. She gasped for breath, pulling at the collar of her jacket and top as she tried to get to the air, but to no avail. She tried to scream but she had no breath to do it with, as blackness once again began to creep over her vision and obscure her sight. Faintly she realised, as she started to lose consciousness, that her family were going to lose somebody else today, and they'd have to do the grieving process all over again, just when they were starting to get better.

'Oh well,' she thought as everything dissolved into blackness, 'At least I'll see Charlie soon'

///*///*///*///*///*///

She was lying on something hard.

She realised that first, as she opened her eyes to find them confronted with the same darkness that was there when she closed them. Secondly she realised that she was breathing again, her airways no longer constricted as she took in raspy breaths. Slowly, she sat up, wincing as her sore limbs resisted the rough treatment she was giving them. She felt around in the dark, trying to discern what she sitting on and coming to the conclusion, as she seized a handful of wet grass, that it was hard, damp soil, seeping into the seat of her jeans rather rapidly.

Looking around her, the darkness seemed to grow less as her eyes got used to the gloom, and although she still couldn't see very much, it was light enough so that she could see a little way in around her. She shivered in the cold, wrapping her arms around her torso and realising that somehow she had managed to lose her coat in the journey to…well, wherever she was now. Heaven, perhaps? Or maybe even…Hell?

_~Oh no, my dear~_ said the voice in her head again. _~It's nothing like that…~_

'What?' Ginny thought, shooting up straight and looking around warily. 'What was that?'

_~In time, dear, in time…~_

'Okay,' Ginny thought, alarmed, as she tried (and failed) to see anything through the dark. 'This is just _weird'_

That was when she realised, thirdly, that she wasn't alone.

A groan echoed in the darkness, very close to her, and she put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from screaming as a figure sat up next to her. It put a hand to its face and groaned again, seemingly unaware that Ginny was sat right next to it. She held her breath as the figure rubbed it's eyes and blinked away in the gloom. And Ginny knew that as soon as it's eyes got used to the dark…

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" the figure screamed, pointing at Ginny with it's eyes wide. Her mouth hung open as she stared at the figure, a slight flash of recognition flickering in her mind…

"Oh my God! Ron!" she cried, putting a hand out to him to try and calm him down.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Shh! Ron, be quiet!" Ginny cried again, trying to stop him screaming as she attempted to grasp his hand. "Look, Ron, it's me, it's Gin—"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

'Oh for goodness' sake!' she thought, frowning and finally managing to seize his hand. "_Shut_ _up!" she shouted instead. It seemed to work; finally, he stopped screaming, blinking twice in the gloom, before he at last seemed to recognise her._

"Gin?" he questioned tentatively, reaching out his other hand.

"Yeah, it's me," she replied, grasping onto it and edging closer to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, looking a round in the relative darkness. He blinked again, as if trying to get rid of it. "How…how did you get here?"

She shrugged, shuddering inwardly as she thought of the horrible few moments of near-suffocation that had occurred just before the whole world dissolved. "I don't know. I was…I was just sitting there on the hill on the way back from getting Mum's groceries and then it was like…like…"

"Like you were suffocating?" Ron supplied, his face (or at least what she could of it) grim.

Ginny nodded.

"I had that to. It was horrible"

Ginny nodded again, and both of them fell silent for a few minutes, mulling over the choking, until after a while Ginny spoke again.

"But why are we here?"

There was a pause, and then,

"A good question" said a voice in the dark.

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A/N So, what does everyone think? This chapter is leading up to some quite important things, but I won't say anything else, because that'd just spoil the story now, wouldn't it? Anyways, hopefully chapter 20 will be out sooner than this one was, because I seem to have got over my writers' block for the moment (touch wood!).

Thanks for waiting for, like, ever: 

**Bijuu** (Well, now you know about the Ginny/Draco/Thom situation – I hope this chapter cleared it up for you anyway. Just for the record, Ginny is still going out with Thom but she's also going out with Draco in secret.) **cashew (Hmm, I'm glad you like the mystery, I do too! Aww, poor you on your pain meds! I was going to have three teeth taken out (baby ones that just wouldn't go away) but one of them fell out yesterday so that put the kybosh on _those_ plans, hee hee!) ****Wizzabee (Well, I certainly like your idea for an ending…whether or not it's right – well, you'll just have to wait and see!) **Liz92** (I think you like Thom quite a lot, right? As to the dibbs, well, it depends on who gets to him first, lol! Although I might just take him myself…Sorry about the long update!) **tay** (Ahh, thanks for the romantic comment! I was just trying to make everything seem nice for them – they need it, lol! And thanks for all the holidays; you've made me a multicultural person!) ****MeEm (Okay, you are in SOOOO much trouble for saying you hate Thom! Every one loves him, including me! And no, he is NO WAY based on sorry guy. And o have to say I still don't care about cricket.)**


	20. Excessus Spiritum Devotum

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends', and the plot is ALL MINE!

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"A good question" said a voice in the dark.

It was as if someone had lit a candle; gradually, the darkness began to recede, being replaced by a faded red light as their faces began to lighten. But it wasn't that which made their eyes go wide and their breath catch in their throats.

Lying there beside them was Harry, Hermione and…

"Draco" Ginny breathed, looking at him with an alarmed expression on her face. All of them seemed to be unconscious (much the way Ron and Ginny must have been themselves just moments before) as their chests was rising and falling with light, shallow breathing. Their skin was pale, their appearance ghostly.

"Hermione!" Ron cried, his voice strangled as he crawled to her side, grabbing her hand. "Hermione? Wake up!"

Ginny looked over at him as he desperately tried to wake his girlfriend, shaking her and trying to rattle her conscious, even going so far as to try and get her to sit up. Looking back at Draco, Ginny scooted over to him, sliding along the wet grass until she was level with him. Looking down at his face, she felt as if her heart was being tugged out of her chest; his already pale skin was now ghostly white, his lips having lost all of their colour. His eyes were closed, his breathing thin and soft. It was almost as if he were…

"Dead?"

Both Ron and Ginny froze in an instant, their bodies ridged with fear as the voice spoke again. The red light around them seemed to pulsate as the person spoke – once, twice – before finally paling into a normal, dim glow as the darkness lifted and they could see properly again.

They were outside a vast and imposing building, made from dark, almost black stone, with large, high windows and a heavy wooden front door. There was a mist in the air, and the light that now surrounded the place gave a feel of early morning, a round seven o' clock or so, meaning if it really _was_ that early, they'd been asleep for a _long_ time. But then, how did they really know that was where – or when – they were?

They looked at each other, eyes large, fear etched into their features as they slowly swung round to see who had spoken. It was in that moment that Ginny realised it was the thing that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.

It was deathly white – pale, pasty white, like a skull – with a flat nose like a snakes' and slits for nostrils, wide, red eyes staring at them all with a smile twisted over it's grotesque mouth.

Ginny had never seen him before, but she knew who he was without even having to think about it.

Lord Voldemort stood before them.

"I gather you did not expect to see me?" he said, his voice filled with malicious amusement as he twirled a wand in his long, slender fingers. Two Death Eaters stood behind him, cloaked in black with their hoods drawn up over their faces so they couldn't see. Both Ginny and Ron just stared, fear rising quickly in their chests as Voldemort held their gazes. Seeing they weren't going to answer, he shrugged his shoulders, his cruel smile still fixed on his face as he turned his eyes on the others.

"I assume you would like your friends to awaken, yes?" he added, pointing the tip of his wand at their sleeping companions. Swishing it around, he opened his mouth to say an incantation, but suddenly he frowned and lowered it to his side.

"Well," he began, nudging Draco's sleeping form with his foot, "It appears my plans have not gone quite the way I would have liked. He is not meant to be here. But no matter; it may work to my advantage in the end"

He raised the wand once again, swishing it through the air before uttering the words, "_Reviviscere_"

Immediately all three of them began to stir, their breathing at once becoming deeper and easier as they slowly opened their eyes and sat up, groaning slightly with fatigue and aching muscles. Ginny felt relief flood through her as Draco's eyes flickered open and colour began to return to his lips, but it was immediately replaced by a sense of dread as Voldemort reached out a hand and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him up. Terrified, Ginny shied away from the long, spidery fingers, instinctively scooting backwards and bumping into Ron, who was holding on to Hermione as if for dear life as she gradually became conscious of where she was. Harry was sitting beside them, now also awake, his body ridged and taut as he stared at Voldemort with an unreadable expression on his face. Voldemort himself ignored it, gesturing with a hand for them to stand also as he kept a hold of Draco's shoulder.

"I think it is time for us to make our way inside the house, don't you agree?" he continued, beckoning them with a finger and turning, heading across the damp lawn towards the large front doors, his black cloak billowing out behind him. They tagged along behind, the two Death Eaters walking a little way behind them. No one spoke as they followed; just shot glances at one another as they ascended the large stone steps towards the doors. Ginny's eyes were riveted on Draco's back as he walked along in front of her, but Voldemort's hand still lay on his shoulder and so she didn't reach out to him, fearing the chalk-white fingers splayed across his black shirt.

"I think you will find the welcome warm" Voldemort called from ahead, reaching out unnaturally long fingers towards the door and touching a fingertip to the solid oak. It opened the moment his skin touched the wood, swinging back on large iron bolts to reveal a dark, shadowy entrance hall, with a high ceiling and two large stone staircases, one on either side of the room. In the centre, aligned directly with the one they were standing in front of, was another door, identical in everyway to the first. Two sconces sat on either side of it, thick yellow candles burning brightly on top as their light shone on the varnished wood.

"Follow me"

A chill swept over Ginny as she stepped across the threshold of the darkened house, and she wondered for the second time that day what had become of her coat as she once again wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep the cold away. She could see Ron shivering in front of her, wrapping his arm tightly around Hermione, who was seemingly still a bit drowsy.

They walked across the entrance hall in a line, following Voldemort towards the closed doors with the sconces either side, until he stopped before them. Taking his hand from Draco's shoulder, he signalled for them to step to the side, before moving back a step and drawing himself up to his full height, his Death Eaters standing obediently behind him. Pointing his wand straight at the door, he murmured, "_Devoveos Malum_"

It happened slowly, the great doors swinging open as a victorious smile crossed Voldemort's face, his white lips twisting horribly as he looked at whatever was in the room. He turned his snakelike face towards them, crooking his finger and summoning them forwards as they, powerless to disagree, obeyed, turning eagerly to see what was behind the doors.

Ginny turned to look into the room – and almost screamed. It was a huge hall, made of stone like the rest of the house, with a huge arched ceiling and a dais at one end, on which sat a large and forbidding throne that Ginny thought oddly familiar, the top carved into jagged ends that looked as sharp as a knife point. The windows were blacked out with large pieces of material bearing scarlet snakes upon them, strung up to cover the glass. Two Death Eaters stood on either side of the throne like bodyguards, and in front of the dais were a whole line of them, only broken where steps descend from the stone platform. All of them stood forbiddingly with the hoods of their black cloaks covering their faces. But it wasn't this that made Ginny feel like her whole body had frozen up, or that she was going to faint – it was the gigantic Dark Mark imprinted on the stone floor of the hall, the skull's empty eye sockets staring and lifeless. Ginny had never seen something so terrifying in her life before, save Lord Voldemort himself. To her it indicated all that was terrible in the world.

_~Step inside…~_ said the voice in her head, _~Step inside and see what it's like to be in the presence of _real _evil…~_

And so Ginny found herself walking towards the room, staring wonderingly at the walls with their sconces and their tapestries with dark stains on the coarse cloth. Vaguely she was aware that the others were doing the same, stepping into the room whilst their common sense seemed to scream at them to stay outside.

'But it's so…strange in here', Ginny thought to herself, coming to stand at the edge of the scarlet Mark on the floor. 'So weird…'

And then suddenly the feeling of wonder was gone and her fear returned in full, making her shudder and let out a small whimper as she stumbled backwards from the mark on the floor. She would have fallen had Harry not put an arm out to stop her, catching her just before she hit the hard stone floor. A ripple of laughter ran around the Death Eaters in front of them as they watched her clutching onto Harry's arm, her expression terrified.

"Well, it seems you're not too taken with our little…motif, Weasley"

Ginny looked up in fear at the sound of her name, and saw that Voldemort was now sitting languidly on the cruel, sharp throne, watching her through narrowed red eyes. Draco stood beside him, looking drowsy. She trembled as Voldemort smiled at her viciously, digging her fingernails into Harry's flesh.

"Well, now that we are all here," he continued, looking round at them, "I think it were perhaps time I explained what exactly has brought you to me in such a…confusing manner"

///*///*///*///*///*///

"You see, after my last encounter with Potter," he said, rising from the throne and coming to stand at the top of the stairs leading from the dais. "I realised that if I were to defeat my greatest foe – you of course" he said, pointing at Harry, "– Then I would have to employ an entirely new method of capture and conquest from the ones I had previously used.

"You have perhaps heard from that beloved _headmaster_ of yours" (he spat out the word headmaster as if it burnt his tongue) "That I am particularly skilled at Legilimency? For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about," he said, lazily waving a hand in Ginny and Ron's general direction, "Legilimency is the power to almost…_read mind_, in a sense – I have always had a certain talent to extract feelings and memories from others.

"But of course I had already used this method before, last year, and it had been unsuccessful. So why did I decide to try it again? Well, it's simple really"

While he said all this, Voldemort had slowly descended the stairs from the dais and was now standing at the bottom of them, with the Dark Mark laid before him at his feet and his Death Eaters standing slightly behind him. Now he smiled cruelly, looking at them with his eyes narrowed and his expression gleeful.

"I decided to go through someone else. You see, my last endeavour to get through Potter, whilst mildly triumphant, did not go quite according to plan. Someone obviously attempted to teach him Occlumency, and though they were…unsuccessful, to put it lightly, it still hampered my strategy. And so I thought that perhaps this year, I would use a _weaker enemy"_

He turned to Ginny, pointing one long, white finger at her in an accusing manner.

"I used _you_"

It took a second for this new information to sink into Ginny's brain, fear and shock turning her thoughts foggy, but when at last she realised exactly what Voldemort had just said, she left out a gasp and put her hands to her mouth, leaning against Harry as her legs began to tremble. Her eyes were wide and fearful as she stared at his hideous pale face, shuddering with uneven breaths as everything slowly came together in her head. The voices, the fainting, the headaches…

"Yes…" Voldemort hissed, nodding. "Yes. The fainting was of course an…unfortunate…side effect of my hold on your mind, but I do not care to think about it. In fact, I do not care at all. But nonetheless, after I had chosen you, I had to find a way to get into your mind. Regrettably for me, Legilimency usually only works during eye-to-eye contact – but in this case, I had a somewhat _strong_ connection to you that worked a similar way. It is not hard to guess what from, of course"

He put a hand in the pocket of his robes and withdrew what looked like an old book – he held it up in the candle light, the flames glittering on the old black cover.

"I would dare say that you recognise this?"

And she did too. In the light from the candles she could see the illumination glinting on the golden name embossed onto the leather, one she knew and feared.

_Tom_ _Marvolo __Riddle._

"But how…?" she whispered, staring at the tiny volume with absolute terror.

"How indeed?" Voldemort replied, looking at the book with a mild expression on his twisted face. "Unfortunately this is not the real diary, just an imitation. As you know the real one was destroyed…"

Ginny felt herself relax slightly at the realisation that the diary wasn't real; but she was still almost completely overcome by fear as she leant against Harry, her knees weak, looking to the floor in disquiet. To know that they were in this situation because of her…

_~No, not entirely because of you…~_

Hearing the voice in her head again, she looked up at Voldemort sharply, preparing to see his grinning face as he invaded her head once again – but no, he was busy throwing the book onto one of the large, thick candles to the side of the room, where it began to burn brightly, the pages curling and shrivelling up.

'But…he was just in my head…wasn't he?' she thought, confused. 'Wouldn't he be 'relishing' it or something…?'

"You see, your experience five years ago with my former self created a certain…bond between us" he continued, turning back to her, seemingly unaware of what was going through Ginny's mind, "not as strong as my bond with Potter, but still a bond that defied distance and material protection, like say, _walls_ _of _a_ __castle, for instance," ( a malicious grin pierced his face at the mention of Hogwarts) "And so I used my skill at Legilimency to get inside your head – bend your will to mine and so forth. At first all I could do was establish thoughts in your head and hope that you would feel them, think them as if they were thoughts of your own, but slowly I managed to weave my way deep inside your brain, into your very core, and after a while things got much more exciting. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"_

Ginny nodded slowly, feeling like cold iced water was bubbling up inside her chest.

"The voices…" she whispered.

"Very good" he replied. "At last it got to a stage where I was so deep within your mind that I could give you thoughts and you would _hear them, like an audible part of your conscience was talking to you. It made it all so easy, because you believed that those words were your own, and I could say anything that I wanted. But the best part of it all was the power to control your feelings"_

'Feelings…?' Ginny thought, bewildered, 'He could control my _feelings_?'

"Yes…" he hissed, red eyes narrowed with malevolent glee, "Your feelings. Because you see, that was the most brilliant part of my plan – to destroy you with your own emotions"

He paused, looking round at all the Death Eaters in the hall, sneering grotesquely as he stepped forwards towards the edge of the Dark Mark on the floor and withdrew his wand from his pocket.

"And now we have finally reached my favourite part" he said, the nostrils on his flat snaky nose flaring with what seemed to be anticipation. "The part where I tell you what we are all really doing here. You see," he said, turning his scarlet gaze on Harry, "I have finally figured out the way that I will defeat you, Harry Potter. And it does not just involve you – it involves your little friends too"

Ginny felt Harry tighten up against her as Voldemort said this, his arms almost crushing Ginny's chest with the force he was putting on them. Ginny knew what would be going through his head at this moment – feeling of guilt for 'leading them into all of this', she supposed.

'But it's not you Harry, it's me' she thought desperately, wrapping her fingers tight around his wrist in an effort to comfort herself. 'It's me, it's me! It's my fault'

They all watched as Voldemort turned to the Death Eaters next to the throne, beckoning them forward as he did so. They did as they were told, one picking up a silvery goblet from the arm of the chair and the other grasping tightly onto Draco's shoulder. They walked down the stairs from the dais carefully, the first one leaving the goblet at Voldemort's side and the other leaving Draco on his other, before they both stepped backwards and into the line of Death Eaters on either side of the platform. There was smoke coming from the goblet now, wafting over the floor in grey wisps.

But Ginny wasn't concentrating on the goblet – she was more concerned with Draco. He was no longer drowsy now, but staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face, his gaze always on her. She looked back, eyes riveted to his, the glacial blue irises swirling with unexpressed emotion.

"Now Potter," Voldemort said, raising his wand to chest height and pointing it at them. "I think it were time I gave you a little…persuasion, for staying exactly where you are. _Incarcerous_!"

Instantly ropes flew out of the end of Voldemort's wand, but just in time Harry let go of her (somehow she managed to stay upright) and grabbed his own from his jean pockets, yelling "_Protego!" and deflecting the spell back. Voldemort ducked quickly, the spell instead hitting one of his Death Eaters behind him, wrapping the somewhat surprised man in thick, coarse ropes. There was a pause for a moment as everyone stood still, watching as Voldemort slowly rose from his position. He turned unhurriedly, an ugly smile on his face as he looked at them._

"Really Potter, did you think I would let you get away with it all as easily as that? Surely you realised that I _knew you had your wands? I would have thought you cleverer than that"_

A snigger rippled through the Death Eaters behind him as they watched, the sound even eerier coming from underneath all the black hoods than it would normally be. Pointing his wand at them again, Voldemort yelled "_Accio wands!", and before they could react, they watched as all four went soaring across the room to Voldemort, falling at his feet. Ginny watched, dazed and angry as hers (a hand-me-down from George) snapped in two on the hard stone slabs, the dragon heartstring inside fizzing slightly with little red sparks before going silent._

"Hmm…perhaps I need something a little stronger for you Potter" he said scornfully, once again pointing his wand at them. "_Incarcerous Malificus!"_

At once long thin manacles flew from Voldemort's wand towards them, clamping themselves over their wrists within seconds as they, unable to defend themselves, watched. Chains flew from the manacles and attached themselves to floor, holding them fast. Ginny almost cried out as the cold metal fastened over her wrists, the too-small shackles cutting painfully into her flesh. She tried moving them but the pain was excruciating, causing her to gasp in agony when the manacles flared red and bit deeper into her wrists.

"Perchance _they_ shall hold you better. Now,"

Putting his wand back in his pocket, he held out his hand and the chalice on the floor slowly rose upwards until it hovered next to his palm, as if waiting for Voldemort. He took it, watching as the smoke drifted over his hands and began to descend towards the floor.

"Lestrange, Zakophski, Dolohov, and Martin; here"

At once, four Death Eaters detached themselves from the line and stepped forwards, each with separate goblets cradled in their own hands. They assembled, two on either side of Voldemort, as he poured the liquid from the cup into the other four, murmuring something under his breath that Ginny couldn't hear. Each of the Death Eaters bowed as their chalice was filled, waiting until the last one was finished to bow once more and murmur something back. Then they turned and began to walk towards Ginny and the others, skirting around the edges of the Dark Mark.

They stopped when they reached them, pausing for a second before advancing on them with the goblets held high. Ginny was powerless to prevent the one nearest from her pressing forwards, reaching out a pale hand to her neck and grabbing onto it. She tried to shy away from the fingers pressing painfully into her veins, but to no avail – the fingers only tightened, the curved feminine mouth visible from underneath the black hood smiling viciously. Letting go of the goblet, it drifted in mid-air as her hand went back under the dark cloak and she withdrew a dagger, the blade shining and tapering off to a sharp point. Slowly she brought it down towards Ginny's arm, the blade getting dangerously close to the flesh. Ginny watched with fearful eyes as she tried to struggle away, but to no avail – the Death Eater's fingers jut tightened around her neck, as did the manacles around her wrists. Shoving Ginny's sleeve up past her elbow, the Death Eater finally brought the point of the blade down on the crook of her arm drawing it across the soft skin as Ginny screamed out in pain. Blood began to seep out of the deep cut, ad the goblet, as if knowing what to do, drifted across the air till it hovered by her arm. She heard the sound droplets of blood dripping into the dark liquid – one, two, three, four…then the Death Eater dropped the knife to the floor, took out her wand from inside her robes and healed the cut.

"Can't have you bleeding to death now," she whispered, but her tone was spiteful, not kind, as if she deeply resented this fact.

Taking hold of the goblet once more, she swilled the liquid around as if to blend the blood into it, and then she brought the goblet to Ginny's mouth, the heat from the thick shiny liquid inside already warming her face as it got closer. Desperately twisting her neck to get away from the stuff, Ginny felt the fingers constricting further once again, and at last the cool hard edge of the chalice touched her lips. She shut them tight in an effort to avoid drinking it, but the Death Eater just tipped the cup further and when the scalding hot substance hit her lips she gasped in pain, causing herself to almost choke on it as it poured into her mouth and down her throat.

It tasted horribly metallic, and it scalded her throat all the way down, little rivulets spilling down her chin as the Death Eater tilted the cup again, forcing more of the liquid into her mouth and down her throat. She tried to move her arms for pain, but the manacles cut even deeper than before, finally slashing through her wrists and letting more blood trickle slowly down her arms, hot and sticky against her skin.

She coughed and spluttered as the Death Eater removed the goblet from her lips, inhaling raspy, wheezing breaths and feeling beads of the horrible liquid drip from the end of her chin onto the floor as she bent over, coughing like an old woman. She looked up at the others, who were all now doing the same as her, the Death Eaters stepping away from them with empty, dripping chalices cupped in their hands. Her vision was blurred by salty tears as she looked back up at Voldemort grinning wickedly from the bottom of the dais, Draco looking blank as he stood by his side.

"Very good, very good…," Voldemort murmured to himself, nodding as the Death Eaters melded back into the line behind him, the goblets disappearing under their heavy cloaks. "Things are going to plan. Now,"

He took his wand from the pocket of his robes, twirling it in his spidery fingers.

"The mixture that you just took was a potion specially made for this particular ritual. It is a fusion of mercury, the dust of a dragon's skeleton, unicorn blood, your blood – and my blood"

Ginny went pale at this comment, retching as she felt bile rising in her chest, and she leant forwards, vomit spraying over the floor as she threw up. Another ripple of cruel laughter ran around the room, and Voldemort shook his head slightly, waving his wand and making the vomit disappear.

"You're all so weak minded really," he said, once again twirling his wand around. "But now, let me finish my explanation. As I was saying, that mixture is especially for this ritual; it is in fact the first step. And now that is complete, I can tell you the next. You see," he continued, "Now I will proceed with my favourite part. The key to everything working this time was that I did not use something that already existed in the world – I had to devise my own means of doing so. And in the end, I did. Hours and hours of contemplating and making and destroying finally paid off when I produced the spell that will be your downfall. The mixture itself is not the spell of course, merely a means of _preparing_ your bodies for the ordeal that lies ahead. As we speak your blood is boiling with the mercury coursing through your veins, making certain…_changes to it. Your molecules are loosening, your mind weakening, making you more susceptible to the next step"_

He paused, looking at them all for a second with narrowed eyes.

"I can even see it your faces, how the brew is changing you. You're becoming weaker by the second. This will help your souls leave quicker, maybe even more so than I hoped"

The bewilderment must have been evident in their faces, for Voldemort began to chuckle cruelly to himself, his crimson eyes dancing with malevolent glee.

"Your confusion is no surprise – indeed, I would have expected it. My explanation is this; I decided that for any strategy of mine to work, I would to dispose of you all once and for all, and yet, perhaps..._develop the energies within you. And so I came up with the perfect plan – to take your life-essence and use it restore me to my full power and beyond"_

He looked round at them all, grinning his grotesque smile at them as he waited for the information to sink in. Ginny looked up at him, thunderstruck as she realised exactly what he meant – she was going to die.

"Yes…" he hissed, nodding, his eyes narrowed in malicious content. "Do you see…?"

He grasped his wand in his left hand as he said this, reaching out slender ashen fingers towards Draco with the other and grabbing his shoulder.

"And now for the final step. Here boy," he said, thrusting his wand at Draco and waiting for a second as he stared at it, as if unsure of what he was meant to do.

"Well don't just stand there – take it!" Voldemort snapped, and Draco obediently held out his hand for the smooth length of wood. A few red sparks shot out of the end as he closed his fingers around it, as if the wand resented being given to somebody else.

"Now…_this_ will be my favourite part. Point the wand at her" Voldemort instructed, indicating Ginny. He waited for a second as Draco stared at her, his face emotionless. But for a second Ginny thought she could see something…his eyes beginning to give away the panic he was feeling.

Voldemort waited for a second, his face beginning to darken, but quickly Draco did as he was told and, albeit with a shaking hand, he raised the wand and pointed it at Ginny.

"Very good, very good…now, you see that thing that you are pointing your wand at Malfoy? She is filth – absolute filth. Dredge up every bit of hate you have for mudbloods, every bit of hate for those disgusting muggle-lovers who dare to call themselves wizards, every bit of hate for her disgusting family and their dirty, disgusting morals. Dredge it all up, and aim it at her"

Draco had visibly paled as this speech went on, his eyes staring at Ginny as if they were trying to bore into her mind. His icy blue eyes, pretty much glacial until now, were slowly beginning to fill with alarm as everything went on. His hand was shaking more and more now, the wand trembling slightly in his grasp.

"And when you have done this," Voldemort continued, his voice silky with suppressed malice, "Then you must utter these words – '_Excessus Spiritum Devotum'. They will draw all life away from her as infection is drawn from a wound – Her soul will fly, far away, but her life's essence, her _being_, will transfer to me"_

Ginny stared at Draco with wide eyes, hardly aware that she herself was now also shaking. Brown eyes stared into blue as the wand tip, aimed at Ginny's chest, began to emit loud, hissing sparks, as if eager to get going and corner its prey.

'Draco…oh please, please Draco…do something…just do something…don't let me die…' she thought desperately, trying to tell him this with her gaze.

Voldemort stood waiting next to Draco, watching him with narrowed eyes as he continued to stand still as a stone, not moving.

"Well boy?" he said at last as the Death Eaters in the crowd began to shuffle slightly and a hushed murmur began to ripple through them. "Are you up to the job, young Malfoy? Do you not see how glorious it will be for you to achieve this? Never have I offered such a chance to any others who have stood before me – but you, as a Malfoy, are worthy of it, and should take it. Do you not wish to kill her, boy?"

And then Draco did the most unexpected thing in the world. He shook his head and lowered the wand.

Instantly one of the Death Eaters broke from the others and rushed forward towards Voldemort, prostrating himself before his lord and sending deathly glances at Draco.

"I am sorry my Lord," he mumbled from underneath his hood, his voice edgy and panicked. "Forgive me for the boy's behaviour; he is not well, his –"

"Stop blabbering Lucius," Voldemort interrupted, his voice deadly calm as he signalled for him to get up. "I know well of the boy's condition and he is perfectly fine. I will deal with you later. For now…"

He turned on Draco slowly, his crimson irises darkening to a deep blood red.

"So it was true…" he murmured. "She was right…"

Calmly, he held out his hand, and his wand shot from Draco's grasp into his own pasty fingers like a bullet from a gun. He held it tightly, raising it and pointing it at Draco with a heated expression.

Ginny knew what was going to happen a second before it did, a scream building in her throat and bursting from her mouth as a jet of green light shot across the room.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

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A/N Ah hahahahaha! Evil cliff hanger!

And now I would just like to apologise ENORMOUSLY for the reallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly long time it took me to update – probably longer than it took me to update chapter eleven! But yes, anyway, I really am sorry – especially to cashew who has been waiting for practically years for me to update.

Oh, and one more thing – my friend Sab's baby brother was born on Tuesday! He's called Patrick and he's _adorable! (I've seen a picture)_

Anyways, thanks for reviewing:

**Crystal** **Star-23 (Wow, thanks for all your short – but lovely – reviews. I really appreciate that someone can sit down and take the time to read my stuff, and the fact that you were going to recommend me was really nice. Oh, and I'm glad you like Avril Lavigne too – she rocks! Thanks!) ****cashew (I am SOOO sorry for the long update! Please forgive me I didn't mean for it to take this long! (But seeing as it's 5778 words by now, please?). And now I guess you see that it's not just Ron in with Ginny, huh? And so they're ALL having fun adventures together. Oh, and btw, I have to ask you – do you like Bon Jovi or U2?) **Aibi** (heya, thanks for reading my story and reviewing, it means loads. Thank you!!) ****Okeanos (Okay, NOW I know what that smile was for when you told me you'd left a review, lol. And it's nice to know ONE of my friends still finds time to read my fics!) ****Lady **Coia** (Well, in Britain we say touch wood if we don't want to jinx something. Excuse my Britainishness, lol. Anyways thanks so much for your lovely review, it was really nice! You're so complimentary! And it's the Easter holidays for them – it was in the A/N at the top of the last chapter. And I'm glad you like the Thom/Ginny/Draco thingie, cuz I do to. Thanks for your review)**

Wowsers, thanks you guys!


	21. Nameless

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends', and the plot is ALL MINE!

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"_Avada Kedavra!_"

There was a brilliant flash and a rush of cold wind as the jet of green light hit Draco squarely in the chest. As if in slow motion, Ginny watched him as he tumbled to the ground, lying spread eagled on the cold stone floor, his face holding a shocked – but empty – expression.

Time slowed down as Ginny watched him, the edges of the room blurring as she stared, ice cold tears prickling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks as her breathing seemed to slow, the sound amplified by the lengthening out of time.

'Draco…?' she thought, staring at him stupidly, 'Draco…? Wake up…why aren't you waking up?'

Her gaze shifted to his chest; to the soft black silk covering the pale flesh; to the stillness lying over his body; her mind grasping how his chest neither rose nor fell, and the sudden realization that hit her like a truck.

"No…" she whispered, beginning to gently shake her head, blood-stained auburn curls bouncing around her face. "No…No…_No_!"

This last word was screamed, her voice having risen slowly throughout the sentence until she was crying out at the top of her voice. Her knees trembled, finally giving away under her – she fell to the floor, hardly even noticing the sudden pain shooting through her kneecaps as they hit the hard stone – all she could think of was the emotional pain seizing her heart and making her feel as if someone had stabbed her. Her eyes were riveted to Draco's face – his perfectly still, beautiful face – and the startled expression crossing his features. In one second Ginny knew in her mind what her heart would not believe – he was dead.

"No..." she wept wretchedly, sinking down on her knees and putting her head in her hands. Tears fell down her cheeks in streams, and she dug her nails into her forehead with grief, overcome. "_No_!" she screamed desperately, reaching out one shaking arm to Draco she cried out with choked sobs. He lay twenty feet away across the floor, a cut he must have sustained when he hit the ground now bleeding freely across the stone slabs.

"A necessary sacrifice Lucius," said Voldemort's voice from the top of the room, obviously directed at Draco's father. "He was not quite as loyal as you would have liked to believe. He…_loved the girl" he added, saying the word 'love' as if it was a food he disliked. "But no matter; his death will not affect the plan. Bellatrix – deal with her"_

Ginny vaguely heard the sound of footsteps walking in her direction, and the next moment hands roughly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up, wrapping their arms around her chest to keep her from falling – at the same time constricting her breathing. But she didn't really notice – her mind was concentrated on the pain that had grabbed her heart. She felt such incredible grief that she thought she should surely burst; but no, her sobs continued as she looked up to find Voldemort staring at her with his vile gaze, his wand now pointing at her. She curled her hands up to her chest, tears still falling freely down her cheeks as sobs made her slight body shake almost uncontrollably – she didn't care what happened anymore. Indeed, she hardly seemed to know what was happening at all; shock was beginning to take over.

"And now, Little Weasley, it's time for fate to come your way. You see this hall; this gathering; this insignia?" he said, gesturing around with a pale hand at the stone walls, Death Eaters and, finally, the Dark Mark in front of him. "These will be the last things you ever see. Do you have anything to say to that brother of yours?"

Ginny looked at Ron, tears blurring her vision as she felt her heart reach out to him.

"I love you Ron" she choked out, her voice cracked and weak. He nodded at her, a tear trickling down his own cheek.

"You too" he whispered back, still holding onto Hermione. "Gin—"

"Enough!" cried Voldemort, interrupting Ron with a harsh and impatient tone. "I have no time for this. Now" he said, raising the wand to chest height and pointing it at Ginny's own. "It's time to say goodbye, little girl. The world is tired of you. _Excessus Spiritum Devotum!"_

At these words, a stream of black light shot from the end of Voldemort's wand and hit Ginny in the chest with an audible 'splush' as it split the flesh. The breath caught in Ginny's throat for a second, stifling her, before everything faded and the world spiralled into darkness.

///*///*///*///*///*///

—_She leant against her mother's legs, crying harder and harder. She wasn't a part of their little huddle, she realised, right when they all needed each other most_—

There was white everywhere…

—_Before Ginny knew what was happening, Mrs Weasley had stormed across the room towards her and raised her hand—_

…A strange white nothingness

_—"Christmas?" Ginny replied, her face pressed up against the glass as she gazed at a beautiful display of dress robes. "I haven't even thought about Christmas yet..."—_

that surrounded her completely,

_—The memorable feeling of electricity running down her spine overtook Ginny completely as she closed her eyes, and she found herself responding to his kiss, going on tiptoes and pressing her own body up against his in an attempt to get closer to him—_

like a blanket protecting her from the cold winter's snow…

_—"Hey Gin," Thom said, sliding his arms around her and kissing the end of her nose. Ginny closed her eyes momentarily, before opening them and gently sliding from his grip—_

…so peaceful…

_—"This is some talk we're having…" Ginny murmured, her eyes fixed on his face._

_"Mmm…" Draco replied, his voice fading into nothing as their lips touched—_

///*///*///*///*///*///

"Ginny…"

A hand caressed her cheek, the soft skin feeling gentle against her own. She leant into it, smiling slightly with sleepy contentment.

"Ginny, open your eyes…" said the voice again, the tips of the hand's fingers now tapping her gently. Reluctantly, Ginny paused, before opening her eyes and coming face to face with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her mouth fell open in surprise and she sat up sharply, causing her head to spin.

The woman's hair was remarkably long, reaching down her back to below her waist, and was the colour of midnight black. Her eyes were a vivid and brilliant blue, the outer edges tilting slightly to give her a foreign look, and her skin was creamy white, contrasting with the strange blue dress that matched her eyes.

"Who…who…?" Ginny asked, staring at the woman in bewilderment. The woman just smiled, making her beauty even more startling; so much so that Ginny gasped. The lady stood, making her way over to a little table in the middle of the room they were in. For the first time noticing her surroundings, Ginny looked around, getting even more confused by what she saw. The area looked like a miss-matched representation of the entire history of the world – a large fire burned in the rustic looking grate; whilst a small painting of Michael Hutchence was propped against a wall, and Ginny looked down to find herself sitting on a Native American style bed.

"In this form, my name is Eleni" the woman said, busying herself with something on the table, which was a small square thing that looked like something out of 19th century Austria. Her voice was a beautiful as her face, sounding like a flowing melody from the sea. "But as I have many forms, I must also have many names"

"What?" Ginny replied, now looking at her again. Eleni smiled again as she returned to her, a little wooden goblet now cupped in her hands. Ginny looked at it warily – for some reason she felt suspicious of the little chalice. It had something to do with…something to do with…

"Do not worry" Eleni said gently, holding the cup to Ginny's lips. "This brew will not harm you – it is simply meant to heal you; well, heal your mind anyway. Go on, drink it"

Watching Eleni with cautious eyes, Ginny accepted the cup and took a sip. Seeing that the liquid didn't taste all that bad, she took another, longer draft, finishing the contents and handing the cup back, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her top; but it was cold and seemed somewhat…wet. She put a hand to the black fabric, and when it came away she found blood staining her fingers, vivid crimson against her pale skin.

"But…what…how did that get there?"

"Hmm," Eleni replied, spotting the blood soaked material. "I should have remembered that. Now, what to do…ah yes"

As Eleni unhurriedly waved a hand, Ginny watched as her bloodstained clothes disappeared, to be replaced by a simple white dress made of soft muslin. Any trace of the blood was wiped away; even her hair was now smoothed and no longer matted with the red liquid.

Ginny looked up at her in amazement, her mouth once more agape as she stared at the beautiful woman.

"How did you do that?" she managed to say through her surprise, examining the dress she was now wearing. Eleni paused for a second, looking at her with mild curiosity before sitting next to her on the bed.

"I can do many things here; that is just the start of it all – look"

Eleni waved her hand once more, and instantly the scene changed before them. Instead of the cluttered walls of the cabin, Ginny now found herself staring at the blue sky, and sitting on soft, crisp snow instead of a mattress. They were on top of a mountain. She looked round at Eleni, intrigued, raising her eyebrows in a questioning glance.

"This you see before you," Eleni said in reply, sweeping her hand across the sky to indicate the scene, "is not really here. It's all just a way for me to make you feel more comfortable. You see, mortal minds just cannot cope with the idea of…nothingness, so I have to build a scene for you to 'live in', effectively, whilst I talk to you"

"Talk to me?" Ginny asked, settling herself comfortably on the snow with her legs curled under her. Surprising it wasn't that cold on the top of the peak; in fact, Ginny felt perfectly warm and at ease.

"Yes," Eleni replied, nodding. "I need to talk to you about what just occurred"

"What do you mean?" Ginny enquired, feeling slightly confused. "I don't…I don't…I don't seem to remember anything about…"

"Do not worry Ginny, it is not unexpected. Up here there is no sense of time, no sense of…order in point and moment, and memories…they function around a time scale. But just think Ginny; think…"

Ginny looked at Eleni questioningly for a moment, puzzled, and then all of a sudden it was like somebody had opened a floodgate, and memories came back to her in a torrent of colours and shapes. Memories of a room; a voice; a sound; a face…such a hideous face…and then Ginny gasped and found herself once again sitting on the snow with Eleni.

Except that she wasn't – not anymore. Instead she sat underneath a large oak tree, the branches fanning out overhead to shade her from the heat. The tree was atop a hill; beneath her a valley was spread out, a little river winding across the countryside between the sides of the valley. It looked a lot like rural England.

"Now in _this_ form, my name is Amelia"

The voice startled Ginny; turning, she found herself face to face with a girl of about seventeen or eighteen, sitting there quietly underneath the oak in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, watching her. She smiled at Ginny kindly, her hazel eyes conveying just as much compassion as her smiling mouth. It was this that made Ginny realise she was still looking at Eleni. 

"The memories…" Ginny said quietly, looking up at the branches of the oak tree and trying to stop herself crying. "I don't…how did I get here?"

Sighing, Amelia's smile dropped, and at once she looked pained. She reached out a hand to Ginny and caught her wrist, tugging at her gently.

"Come and sit here," she said, indicating the spot next to her. Ginny obeyed, sitting next to Amelia between two particularly large roots. "Now," Amelia continued, leaning against one of the roots and turning towards Ginny. "I think it's time that I explained everything to you – everything has happened for a reason, a reason you need to know"

And so Amelia took a deep breath, and began.

///*///*///*///*///*///

"They attacked the dragon keepers because they were too important to the ministry. I know that generally dragon keepers aren't exactly considered important, but think about it; dragons are something that Voldemort's side really needed, so off him and followers went to get some. They killed every keeper, man and woman, until only one was left; Charlie Weasley. His death was not pleasant – but then, Voldemort was never a merciful creature. But of course it wasn't because of Charlie himself that his death was like that; it was because of you, Ginny"

Ginny looked up at Amelia with stricken eyes, but Amelia put a gentle hand on her arm.

"But do not blame yourself – it was just fate that things had to happen like this. You see, Voldemort had already appointed you as his target. He was slowly going to weaken you from the inside out – and so he began by killing your brother. He knew you were close, as all the Weasley are, and so he used Charlie's death to break you open, so that he could get at you from within your very core.

"But then, you know all this already; even if you do not quite remember. Voldemort told you of this before. But he was not the only one trying to find you; I was too. The only difference was that I was trying to help you, not hurt you. I was there from the very beginning – your first dream, even before Charlie died, was my doing. Do you remember? It was the book, Ginny; the book with the picture of the girl"

Ginny frowned for a moment, trying to recollect what Amelia was talking about; but slowly, it came back to her.

"You mean the girl whose hair was that odd colour? Somewhere between—"

"Blood and dirt. Yes"

"But…why…?"

"I was trying to protect you," Amelia replied, picking up a leaf and running her finger over the patterns in it.

"Was my dream about Charlie when I got home…was that…you?"

"No," Amelia replied, shaking her head. "That was purely a sister mourning for her dead brother. But now, let me continue.

"I don't just affect dreams of course; I can affect many things in the mortal world, although my best influence is over books. And so I used one to communicate to you during your tarot reading in Professor Trelawney's tower during one of your classes. I told you too choose wisely Virginia; although I do not know if you listened"

"So that was you?" Ginny asked, thinking back to that memorable Tarot reading. "You told me…in 'Unfogging the Future' when it was talking about the choices card"

"Indeed. I did nothing for a while after that, but then your dreams began again – and this time Voldemort was manipulating them. So I came to you and I helped. Voldemort would have performed an unforgivable on you had I not intervened, but when I did he stopped, and so I brought you a little further back from the edge.

"But now I knew that my power would not be good enough if still used from afar – and so I paid you a little visit in the flesh"

At the look of confusion on Ginny's face, Amelia smiled good-naturedly. "Not in either of the forms you have just seen, but as one you knew long before that time. Here, I'll show you"

Standing up, Amelia paused for a second, before all of a sudden she seemed to ripple, as if Ginny was watching her behind a wall of heat. Then, in the blink of an eye, her form suddenly seemed to rearrange itself, and Ginny found herself face to face with—

"Amy!" she cried, startled, as the girl that had only seconds before been called Amelia smiled at her. It was definitely Amy, from the fluffy brown hair and brown eyes to the large brown glasses and oversized dress robes.

"Oh my god…" Ginny murmured, staring at Amy in shock. "Are you actually…"

"Amy?" she replied. "Yes. There never was a Hufflepuff called Amy McGuire sorted in 1992. It's always been me, the nameless one"

As she said all this, 'Amy' pushed her glasses up her nose, a strikingly familiar gesture that gave Ginny the 'heebie jeebies' as Ron would say.

"I don't mean to shock you," Amy said, smiling apologetically. "If you like, I could be someone else…"

Ginny nodded, wanting to stop feeling so weirded out as soon as she could. She watched again as Amy seemed to disappear behind a wave of heat, and in another second a young woman stood before her. She looked about twenty-five, with short red hair and blue eyes that seemed to bore into Ginny's own brown ones. She sat down on the floor opposite Ginny, folding her hands in her lap – Ginny couldn't help but notice her bright green nail polish.

"Is that better?" the woman asked, smiling. "I thought you might find Lenora more akin to the type of people you see around you"

Ginny nodded, looking up and down at Lenora's clothes; a bright green off-the-shoulder top that matched her nail varnish, a pair of indigo jeans, and a pair of shoes that also matched the nail varnish and top.

"Am I alright?" Lenora asked eagerly, smiling.

"Sure" Ginny replied, leaning against the tree. "But what happened after…Amy?" she asked, trying not to think of how weird it was that Amy was the same woman now sitting in front of her in bright green nail polish.

"Well," Lenora replied, her tone at once more serious, "I helped you to leave when Draco was talking to you. Remember, you were finding it difficult? Well, after that, I began to send you some more signs. Do recall a book that Thom was using once, when you were both in the library? It was after your first 'truce' with Draco"

"Oh yeah," Ginny replied, remembrance dawning on her face. "The one whose author was called Nynig Moth. I remember"

"Good. Because the author's real name was Hempden Smith. Nynig is an anagram of 'Ginny' and Moth is an anagram of 'Thom'"

There was a pause for a moment as Ginny took in what had just been said, and then her jaw dropped as she realised exactly what Lenora had just told her.

"Are you saying that you changed the name to…to what…what were trying to tell me?"

Lenora paused, looking intently at Ginny for a moment, before sighing and looking out over the valley. There was silence for a few seconds as her piercing eyes watched the wind blow through the trees, rustling leaves, before she turned back to Ginny.

"Fate is written in the stars. It's not set in stone of course – it can be changed – but there are some things that must just…be. Draco and you were always meant to fall in love, unlikely as it sounds. But the ancients decided it long before either of you were born; your fate would change the world. But I knew that I could not…I could not let Draco die. It would cause you too much hurt. And so I tried to stop it all together by giving you Thom. Oh, Thom and you were always going to fall in love, whatever happened – your paths would have crossed eventually" she added, seeing the expression on Ginny's face. "But I tried to give him too you sooner, to stop Draco from ultimately dying. I failed of course"

Lenora sounded bitter at these words, as if she hadn't done something quite well enough, and so Ginny reached out a hand and touched her arm. Lenora smiled thankfully at Ginny, looking a little forlorn for a second, before seeming to straighten and take a deep breath.

"Anyway," she continued, "when you collapsed, I knew that I had to do something again. And so, when your brother and his friends came to visit you in the hospital wing, I made it so that you'd tell them about your headaches, and Hermione, knowing that something was going on, would scoot off to the library and bury herself in some books, where I would plant information for her. They got them too, you know; the headaches" Lenora added, tapping a long green nail against her temple. "So when you told them about yours, it set Hermione off. Planting information into the books was the only way I could tell them about it all without Voldemort finding out. But I had to do it slowly of course. I had to give it to them in little bits and pieces so that they would get suspicious. They might have ending up think it was Voldemort's doing or something like that if I hadn't been careful.

"And then I returned to you as Ellia in another dream – your mind had conjured Professor Trelawney, as the Divination teacher, and so I used her in the dream to tell you of the importance of choices; and then I returned to you as Ellia, and I gave you hope, But then, everything went wrong again. You see," Lenora said, "It was Voldemort who caused you to do many things that you wouldn't normally do. If it hadn't been for him, you and Draco would never have fallen in love. But then you did, and you were going to break up with Thom—"

"Are you saying you stopped me breaking up with Thom?" Ginny interrupted crossly. "Did you stop me making that decision?"

"No" Lenora replied, looking surprised and a little upset. "That was your own choice. I've only ever tried to help you Ginny"

"Oh," Ginny replied quietly, looking down and feeling herself flush with shame. "Sorry"

"Don't worry about" Lenora replied. "It's only normal for you to feel mad; this is all very confusing for a mortal like you"

"Still," Ginny answered, looking up and giving Lenora an apologetic look, "I shouldn't have done it. But please, go on"

"Well," Lenora continued, "then you dreamt again – except that this wasn't a dream. Do you remember the strange white nothingness, and the voices that surrounded you? That was Voldemort and I, conversing on the events of the past months. To him it seemed as though it was all some kind of game, a victory for him to gloat over…But that, I suppose, did not help him in the end…

"But anyway," Lenora continued, "The information I provided in the books lead Hermione to occlumency – the magical _protection of the mind – and so, when she read the article on it in the newspaper, she cut it out and gave it to you to read. You never did of course"_

Ginny thought guiltily of the unread newspaper article stuffed in her cloak pocket, looking at Lenora apologetically.

"Then you saw the crystal; I talked to Voldemort through it, warning him to stay away from the boy who was interfering with his plans – I speak of Thom of course. But he did not know that Thom was part of it all, and I did not want him to find out. That was not a dream of course; it really happened. The gift of the seer shines bright in your family history; I see you have a little of it left"

"The gift of the seer?" Ginny asked doubtfully, "I have a seer in my family?"

"Several actually," Lenora replied, "And it seems you have been given a little of their knowledge. Fate is an enigmatic force" she added, sighing. "But I must continue. After that, nothing much happened for the next month, but then, when I least expected it, Voldemort struck. I should have known he'd do it during a holiday, when none of you were under the watchful eye of Dumbledore. You were out buying groceries, and there was a Hogsmeade trip which all four of the others were attending. And so he whirled you away from safety and pulled you into his grasp. I failed"

As she said this, tears welled in Lenora's eyes, one single drop spilling out and trailing down Lenora's cheek. "I could not help you then; all I could do was reassure you that it wasn't your fault"

"That was you?" Ginny asked, vaguely remembering the voice that had spoken to her. "I thought that was Voldemort, but he didn't seem to realise…"

"It was me, yes" Lenora replied, wiping her tear away with the sleeve of her top. "I wanted you to know that it wasn't your fault"

She paused then, watching Ginny, who was now looking out at the valley and the sun sparkling on the river's surface.

"What is it?" Lenora asked, seeming to sense that something was wrong.

"It's just…I have a question" Ginny replied.

"What? I shall answer as best I could"

"Well…," Ginny answered. "I just wanted to know…Did Draco ever really love me?"

There was silence for a moment as Lenora hesitated, before turning to Ginny – but just as she was about to speak, she suddenly stopped, and a far away look came into her eyes as if she was listening to something happening far, far away, somewhere else…

Then she said something Ginny couldn't have though she would.

"Go home, Ginny" she said, a grin spreading over her face. "Go home and see them!"

And before Ginny had time to answer, the scene began to swirl before her, the colours and shapes bending and swirling until everything was just one mass of colour, and she felt herself being torn away from it all as if she was being ripped away. The colours weakened the father away she went, becoming greyer and greyer until at last, it faded away into black…

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A/N Okay, once again, please don't kill me for how long it took me to update. Like I said, I had a 2,500 word essay to give in, so I have a decent excuse! But anyway, yes…I have a feeling I have perhaps a couple of people to answer to who maybe aren't so happy with the way I dealt with the Avada Kedavra problems. Seriously though, if anyone flames me for that, I will just ignore it and feel incredibly sad for that person because, well, that's a pretty sad attitude to have.

Anyways, please review!

Thanks for reviewing:

**Cashew **(Wow, thanks for all the compliments, I'm seriously flattered! And I'm glad you picked up n the real/manipulated thing, that's important. And no, sorry, Harry doesn't die, obviously. Thanks for reviewing) **fcuking cathy (Thanks for both of your reviews, you're a very nice reviewer. And obviously your question about Draco dying has been answered – sorry about that…Oh yeah, and Charlie's still dead. Hopefully my little bit about Charlie dying and all that will have helped unconfuse you) ****Beauty Eclipsed (Well, the cliffhanger's gone now! Thanks for reviewing) **Vu **(Thanks for your compliments on the powerful chapter – I hope this one was just as good!) **Okeanos **(Well hah, I _did_ leave it one that1 But now I've continued so everything's great, yah? Anyways, thanks for reviewing) **Lady Coia **(It's all good…sorry I took so long to update, but I have now, so. Thanks for reviewing, and please review again!) **Dirrty Girrl **(Sorry about the cliffy, but it was the best place to leave it. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! Oh, and Evanescence _are great) **Brenna **(Yeah, I like chapter twelve too; I have to say that the same thing happening to you had me cracking up – coincidence is funny. And "Ahhh!" Scary Music! Thanks for your mucho nice review) **ElveNDestiNy **(Wow, thanks for reading my fic, especially as all your fics are LotRs. It was really nice to see I had review from you; when people who you respect read your stuff and say they like it, it's one hell of a good feeling! Sorry if my updating was a little long, but, well…you can forgive me, lol)_**

Wow, so many reviewers! Thanks guys.


	22. Closure

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends', and the plot is ALL MINE!

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Ginny winced as she sat up gingerly in the hospital bed, trying to ignore the sharp pains coming from the wound in her chest. Mid-morning sunshine was flooding in through the large windows, sending a shaft of light across the white bedclothes and the bedside cabinet. Several cards were propped up on it, proclaiming titles of 'Get Well Soon Ginny' and 'Don't Stay Away _Too_ Long!' (the latter being from the twins, who had been over to see her the day before). But however funny they were, she wasn't exactly laughing.

The sound of the door being opened startled Ginny, and she jumped, causing her wound to begin to bleed, the bandage under her nightdress beginning to turn crimson. She closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip to try and stop herself from crying out. The next second she felt soothing hands gently push her back down onto the bed, dabbing something onto the wound that caused the bleeding to stop. She didn't resist, even though it stung a little – she'd been through worse pain in the past few weeks, both mental and physical.

Opening her eyes, she found herself looking up at Thom, smiling kindly at her as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Healer Leeves told me to put some of this on your wound if it started bleeding" he said, holding up a tiny blue vial for Ginny to see.

"Thank you" she murmured in reply, taking a few deep breaths to try and steady herself as she once again sat up. Thom started to protest, but she waved him off, trying to conceal the pain as she propped herself up against her pillows.

"So…how are you?" Thom asked, his expression one of concern as he looked at her with his sweet grey eyes.

Ginny paused before answering; she didn't really know what she could say. The one person she loved more than anyone else in the world had just died at the hands of the most evil wizard known to man, and every second of every day hurt more than words could say – but how was she supposed to tell Thom that? He didn't even care that Draco had died – after all, they had hated each other. And besides, Thom loved her – could she even tell him about Draco at all?

"It hurts a little" she replied finally, gesturing to her wound. "But it doesn't really matter. The healers told me it'll take a little while to heal, as they've never dealt with something like this before and they don't want to use magic, but I suppose I can cope. I've always got Witch Teen Magazine to read" she added, holding up the glossy magazine lying facedown on her bed. Thom smiled gently, making her feel a little better.

"Like your cards Gin," he said, gesturing to the 'Get Well' cards on the bedside cabinet. "Which reminds me," he continued, grabbing his bag from the floor beside the bed and opening it, "I have something for you"

Feeling around in the bag, he finally produced something wrapped in brown paper and string, with an envelope sellotaped to the top. "Here," he said, handing it too her, "It made me think of you"

Taking the parcel, Ginny carefully pulled the envelope off, cautious not to jog her arm too much (as it would put a strain on her injury). Turning it over, she opened it, pulling out a beautiful card. It was a picture of some plain white roses, a painting done by some muggle artist, Ginny assumed, as it seemed to be a muggle card. Opening it up, she smiled slightly when she read the message inside;

'_Dear Ginny_

_I hope you get out of there soon – I miss you!_

_Love always_

_Thom_

_p.s. The flowers are on the front!_'

"Thank you" she murmured, propping it up on her bedside table with the others. The sunlight from the window illuminated it, making the roses look almost real. Turning to the parcel, Ginny proceeded to tear the paper off (albeit a little slowly), pulling out her gift. It was a small crystal pendant strung on a piece of black leather, with a tiny blue-grey stone in the centre – the exact blue-grey colour of Draco's eyes. She stared at it for a moment, silent, everything stopping just for a moment as she wondered how something so small and insignificant was making her hurt so much all of a sudden.. Emotions clawed at and overwhelmed her – Draco flashed through her mind, his image so bright and vivid that for a moment she held her breath; the pain grabbed at her heart, making her feel as though she was being stabbed.

"Ginny?"

Thom's voice broke through her shell, his voice full of concern. "Ginny, are you okay? I…Did I do something wrong…?"

She shook her head, biting her lip to try and stop tears from overpowering, but to no avail; they came thick and fast, pouring down her cheeks in a torrent as her body shook. And then Thom's arms were around her, holding her as she shook with emotions from cuts so deep no one would ever see them. She stiffened for a moment, afraid of what would happen if he held her – but then she collapsed against him, sobbing into his shoulder as her renewed pain washed through her entire body. As Thom's arms encompassed her, Ginny realised that she would never try to hurt him; and so she could never let him know about Draco.

///*///*///*///*///*///

Ginny leant against the apple tree in the back yard, sketching a gnome that sat by the garden bench, greedily eating a tomato her mother must have dropped after clearing lunch from where they had eaten outside. She frowned in concentration as she drew its puggish nose, her pencil scratching slightly against the special sketching parchment. Her mother had bought her some as a coming home present when she'd left St. Mungo's. Ron, Hermione and Harry, who had all been in there with her, had received presents of their own – Ron had been given a Chudley Cannons Brooming Kit, Hermione had received a book on Magical Science, and Harry had gotten a small frozen Ashwinder egg – it was so beautiful, Ginny had thought when she saw it, with the light bouncing off its shiny grey surface.

Just then the sound of someone walking across the grass startled the gnome, and it quickly got up, sprinting across the grass and diving behind a hedge. Ginny sighed, exasperated as she put her pencil down, looking at the half finished picture with an air of disappointment – she wasn't likely to get the same gnome in the same position again.

"Sorry about that"

"That's okay," Ginny replied, looking up at Ron as he stood over her. "Join me?" she asked, gesturing to the grass beside her. Ron nodded, sitting and leaning against the tree.

"Nice picture"

"Thanks"

"Sorry"

"You can stop saying sorry now Ron," Ginny replied, setting the picture down next to her and drawing her legs up to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs as she stared out into the garden. Both of them were silent for a while, just looking at their house and the garden, before Ron spoke.

"It's been eight months since he died Gin"

Ginny looked round at her brother, watching as he stared at the swing seat on the other side of the garden. She didn't need to know who he was talking about – it was obvious.

"It only seems like yesterday I was sitting in Dumbledore's office with you and Mum and Dad" she replied. "We've come a long way since then"

Ron smiled sadly, nodding. "A hell of a long way"

They were quiet again for a moment, but once again Ron broke the silence; this time his tone was questioning.

"How much do you remember Gin?" he asked, turning towards her.

"Remember?"

"Of when Voldemort took us? How much do you remember?"

It seemed that Ron's experience with the wizard had destroyed his misgivings of the name, Ginny thought briefly. She paused for a moment, thinking back towards that fateful day. In truth, she remembered it all with vivid clarity, from the lack of breath to the unsettling journey from wherever her soul had ventured back to her body. After she had left Lenora, it had seemed as though she'd spent hours travelling through a vast black tunnel, her feet never quite touching the floor, until suddenly the blackness had disappeared, and she'd found herself looking up at the ceiling of St. Mungos.

"Nothing much really," she replied eventually. "How about you?"

"The last thing I remember is trying to get Hermione to wake up. After that everything's a bit of a blur"

"Yeah" Ginny answered vaguely, staring up at the sky through the twisted branches of the apple tree.

Once again a hush fell over them, and they sat perfectly still, taking pleasure in the silence that had these days become so rare. Gradually, the sunlight ceased to be, and twilight set in, taking with it yet another day in Ginny's life.

///*///*///*///*///*///

_"What happened when you left?" Lenora asked, handing Ginny some playing cards. Ginny looked at them for a moment, confused, before Lenora smiled and said, "We're playing poker"_

_"Why?" she asked sceptically, spreading her cards out in her hand and leaning back in her chair._

_"Because that's what I decided we should do," Draco answered, accepting his own cards from Lenora. "And you know how much I like to get my own way" he added, smiling playfully._

_"This isn't another of Voldemort's tricks is it?" Ginny replied, frowning._

_"No," Lenora replied, dropping some coins into the middle of the table. "This is more you than anything else, although I'm helping you along a little. Voldemort can't reach you here anymore Ginny. Not with us"_

_"Which reminds me," Ginny answered, throwing some coins of her own onto the table. "Why are _you_ here?"_

_The last part had been addressed to Draco, who smiled and added yet more money to the pile of coins._

_"Because you needed a chance to explain things to yourself. Besides, I wanted to see you"_

_"Really?" Ginny asked, smiling at him._

_"Really" he replied, reaching out and taking her hand._

_"So," Lenora interrupted, clearing her throat. "What happened after you left me?"_

_"Well," Ginny said, waiting as Lenora took her turn, "It was like I was getting pulled away by some giant force. Everything just sort of began to fade away, until I was walking along in this big black tunnel. Well, I say walking – I don't think my feet ever really touched the ground. I was there for hours; well, it felt like hours anyway, but I don't really know how long it was. And then the next thing I know, I open my eyes and I'm in St. Mungos with a huge hole ripped in my chest"_

_"The spell caused you the damage, I assume?" Lenora asked, waiting as Ginny played her own cards._

_"Yep. The healers in St. Mungos said that the sheer force of it had shocked my cell tissues on impact like the edge of a knife would, causing my flesh to tear open"_

_"You're okay now though?" Draco asked._

_"Pretty much, although I've got quite a large scar" Ginny replied, reflexively putting a hand to her chest._

_"Couldn't the healers have just made it vanish?"_

_"They said they didn't want to do anything that might cause more damage. They've never dealt with anything like this before, so they thought it best to let it heal with only the tiniest bit of magical help. They couldn't even clean up your body properly for a while"_

_Draco raised an eyebrow at this, but Lenora prevented him asking anymore questions by addressing Ginny._

_"And the others had the same thing happen to them as well?"_

_"Yes, although Harry got the worst of it—"_

_Draco snorted at these words, grinning slightly behind his cards as Ginny gave him a reproachful look._

_"As I was saying, Harry got it worst of all – but that was probably because it went so wrong when Voldemort got to him"_

_"Wrong?" Lenora asked, sounding interested as she studied her cards carefully, waiting for Draco to make his move._

_"When Voldemort tried to curse Harry, something happened; nobody knows exactly what though. Harry says all he can remember is a lot of white and blue light everywhere, like electricity, and then he blacked out. He said the next thing he remembered was waking up in St. Mungos, just like the rest of us"_

_"Except you of course" Draco said, grinning._

_"Yes, except me" Ginny replied, smiling a little and giving him a look._

_"What was different about you then?" Lenora asked, although Ginny knew she already knew the answer. But, like Draco had said, this was a chance for Ginny to explain things to herself, not them._

_"Well…I seem to be able to remember quite a lot – including all that time I spent…well, wherever you live" she said to Lenora. "But nobody else can remember anything really; it seems like I'm the only one. I haven't told them of course" she added._

_"So do you know what happened to Voldemort?" Draco asked, contemplating what to do next and staring long and hard at his cards._

_"That's the one thing I _don't_ remember" Ginny replied. "All we know is that he and his Death Eaters seemed to have scarpered after Harry messed it all up for him"_

_"Again" Draco muttered, taking his turn._

_"And that's a bad thing because?"_

_"I never said it was a bad thing – Voldemort does happen to be the guy that killed me, you know. It's just that I'm not used to saying bad things about him out loud; I used to have to say them in my head. Besides, I don't want to sound like I'm congratulating Potter, do I?" Draco answered._

_"No, I don't suppose you would" Ginny replied, grinning even though she knew she shouldn't be._

_"So nobody knows about you two then?" Lenora asked._

_"No," Ginny replied, shaking her head. "Nobody remembers anything that was said in the time that we were with Voldemort apart from me, and I'm not going to tell anyone"_

_"What about Thom?"_

_Ginny paused for a moment, gazing quietly at her cards. Finally she looked up and shook her head._

_"No. If nobody else knows apart from me, I think it's probably best"_

_"Why not tell him?" Lenora asked._

_"Because I don't want to hurt him" Ginny replied simply, shrugging and laying her cards down on the table._

_"Are you still going out?"_

_"Well…he thinks we are. He never thought we _weren't_ going out. I suppose I'll just have to see how everything goes" Ginny said, watching as both Lenora and Draco lay their cards down too. Lenora grinned, reaching across the table and drawing the pile of money across the table towards her._

_"I win" she said, grinning._

_"Yes, but it's only metaphorical money, so you didn't _really_ win" Draco replied, folding up his cards and putting them away._

_"Who cares?" Ginny said, folding up her own cards and standing up. "Is it time for me to go?"_

_"Yes," Lenora replied, standing and making her way around the table to Ginny. She smiled, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Be brave Ginny. Don't let all that has happened haunt you forever – I will always be there. Whenever you feel alone or afraid, just remember that I'm there with you, all the time, watching over you. And now I think that it is time you two said goodbye"_

_With that, Lenora stepped backwards, rippling for a moment before disappearing. Ginny turned to Draco, who stood behind her._

_"I miss you, you know" he said, stepping towards her and taking her hands. Ginny smiled, leaning forwards and resting her head on his chest._

_"And I miss you too, my love. Every single day" she replied. Her smile faded as she said this, and she looked up at him, her eyes searching his as she asked, "Is this real? Am I really here?"_

_"Yes" he answered, enveloping her in his arms and kissing the top of her head lovingly. "In your mind, you are really here"_

///*///*///*///*///*///

Ginny opened her eyes to find herself looking at her ceiling. It was still dark, and she was in bed, the sheets draped haphazardly over her. She must have been dreaming, she realised as she thought about what she had just seen, heard…felt.

She put a hand to her arms, still feeling Draco's hands on her. She swallowed, trying to not cry as she wondered what had just passed within her mind. Had it truly been real? Had she really seen Draco; talked with him; been held by him?

Her question was answered when she turned on her side. On the pillow next to her lay a single playing card, a Queen of Hearts, placed just where she would see it when she turned over. Ginny gasped, at once realising exactly what this meant – it had been real. She smiled to herself, feeling tears prick her eyes as she sat up and held the card in her hand. She turned it over, shaking her head slightly in pleasant surprise. This little card, she realised, was something that she had been craving since she'd woken up in the hospital. Not the card itself of course – but the thing it was going to give her. Because, Ginny realised, slipping it into her beside table with the photograph – she could finally be given closure.

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A/N Well, this will certainly have a been a faster update that the last two. I don't know why, but this chapter seemed to just roll right from my brain out onto the page. But yeah, I hope you all liked this chapter; it should have explained everything and tied off all the little ends that I managed to create for myself. I also hope you understand the Ginny/Thom situation now. For anyone who doesn't, basically, Ginny never told Thom she was in love with Draco, and so they were seeing each other behind Thom's back. Ginny does love Thom, but it's doesn't even begin to compare to the love she has for Draco. Now that Draco's dead, Ginny knows that she's not going to tell Thom, but she doesn't know if they will break up, go out again, whatever. Right, I hope you all understand now.

Btw – this isn't the end of the story, but I'm afraid there aren't very many chapters after this, just to clear that up if anyone thought this was the end.

Thanks to the following people:

**Beauty Eclipsed** (Yep, sorry, Draco dead, I'm afraid. But he was still in this chapter so I hope that was okay. And I hope that this chapter explained things enough for you – I tried to make it easy) **Dirrty** **Girrl**** (Yeah, I'm sorry, but he really is dead. And I'm sorry but there's no twist – it's true) ****Alyssa Rose (sorry about the beginning not making sense; I did try :). And I'm glad you liked Eleni/Amelia/Amy/Lenora – she's one of my favourite characters, mostly because she's so cool. And as you can see, she didn't leave Ginny all alone – she's always helping!) **Lady Coia** (Thanks for the compliments on the planning – I didn't actually have it all planned out this way from the exact beginning, but it all worked out okay in the end, lol. Not too messy. And I'm glad you liked the 'sweet' elements in that chapter, I liked them too) ****swimfan (Thanks for reviewing Chapter One. And as you probably know by know, it'll get way sadder. Thanks for reviewing) ****cashew (I was really happy when I saw how long your review was. I wanted to hear what you thought of last chapter. It was my 'explainy' one. I'm glad you liked the 'non-human thing' as you called her – what did you think of Amy not actually being human? Does that sound like I'm saying you're not human? Well, I'm not, just for the record, lol. And thanks for the compliment – I'm very flattered. I'm glad you love Thom, because I love him too. Ahh, if only every girl had her own Thom… But I hope that everything has been answered for you in this chapter, and that you enjoyed it. Now go r&r please. Laters) **locker1198** (wow, thanks for the compliments on the fic, it was real nice of you1 It's great when someone tells you they love your story. And it took you all day to read? Wow, I never realised it was so long! I hope I updated quick enough, lol. Thanks for reviewing)**

Thanks everyone who reviewed – mucho appreciated. 


	23. Things Change

Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own any characters you don't recognise, and the plot is ALL MINE!

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The spring sunshine fell over the cemetery like golden liquid, spilling through the branches of the willow that hung over the grave and dappling sunlight over the grass. Ginny stood in front of the tomb, her eyes travelling over the inscription etched into the smooth stone;

_Charles Henry Weasley_

_Or 'Charlie' to the rest of us.___

_1967 – 1996_

_We miss you_

Ginny smiled slightly, her eyes sad as she knelt before the grave and grabbed the vase that lay atop the grass. "These need changing" she murmured, taking out the old and wilted flowers and replacing them with a fresh bouquet. She put the vase back on the grass and leant backwards to examine her work, wiping the soil off her hands and nodding in satisfaction.

"That should do" she said, stuffing the wrapping in the bag that hung over her shoulder. Sighing, she slid her legs out from under her, sitting sideways in the grass and leaning back on one hand. She looked up at the gravestone, once again reading the words long ago carved into her mind and feeling a tear spill from her eyes and down her cheek, dripping off her chin and landing somewhere in the grass, lost forever. She wiped it away with her sleeve, sniffling and trying to hold back more tears.

"I miss him Charlie," she finally managed to say, giving up and letting the tears have their way; they fell in little rivulets down her cheeks, shining in the sunlight. 

"All this time and I still miss him!" she cried. "And why?! I don't know – we only had a few months together, and even then it was just stolen moments. It doesn't make sense…no sense at all…"

Sniffling, she pulled a tissue from her bag and wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down. At last she seemed composed; or as composed as she could be at that particular moment, as a few tears were still falling down her cheeks. She swallowed, before opening her mouth to speak.

"I still love him, you know" she said to the stone, smiling a sad smile, knowing she would get no reply; not even to that statement. "I don't know what it is – or was – about him that made me love him. Just…everything, I suppose. I even loved the mean, evil part of him, in the end. He was like…"

She paused, looking for the right word.

"A drug would be the best word, because that's what it was like in the beginning. Every time he kissed me, it was like he was flooding through my system, intoxicating every last part of my body. Oh I _hated it at first, believe me – well, the idea of it anyway – but…"_

She hesitated again, looking up at the sky as if contemplating something. "Is it really possible to fall in love with someone you hate? Because if it hadn't been for Voldemort then Draco and I…would we have ever fallen in love? After all, it was Voldemort who made me do all the things that led to our relationship, nothing else. His voice in my head…It controlled me. For the second time in my life Tom Riddle took over my head and pressed his will onto me!"

Her voice rose on the last line, echoing slightly as it bounced off of the gravestones dotted across the grass. Ginny swallowed, trying once again to compose herself as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I just want to know if anything we shared was true. But I don't even know about myself; how could I ever know about Draco? What do you think Charlie? Did he love me? Yes or no?"

A breeze stirred the branches of the willow tree, causing the long, hanging boughs to nod up and down as if to say "Yes, he really loved you".

Ginny smiled sadly, patting the ground in front of her and sighing. "Thank you Charlie," she said, watching as the branches stilled and once again became lifeless. "I'm glad you understand. Maybe one day I will too"

She looked to the sky once again, at the pink glow beginning to seep into the bright summer blue on the horizon that signified twilight would soon be arriving. She stood now, looking once more down at the tombstone.

"There is one thing I do know," she said quietly, her eyes on the dates in the stone. "Things change Charlie. People change".

Stretching out a hand, she trailed the tips off her fingers over his name, memories flashing through her mind.

"I've changed"

She let her hand drop back down to her side, looking at the inscription one more time before the sound of footsteps running across the grass towards her made her turn.

"Mummy, mummy!" cried the little boy, colliding gently with her leg and looking up at her, his hands clinging to her hips. "Jody's scaring me!"

"That's not true!" exclaimed the girl behind him, trying to catch her breath as she stopped running after him. "Charlie's just being stupid, that's all"

"Am not" Charlie said indignantly, turning and giving Jody a look.

"Are too"

"Am not"

"Are too"

"Children!" Ginny cried, holding up her hands to calm them down. "Now, Charlie, what's going on?"

"Jody was being a pig and said that there were ghosts in the graveyard and that they were going to get me!" Charlie cried fearfully, looking around anxiously and digging his fingers into Ginny's hips.

"Did not!" Jody cried angrily, putting her hands on her hips and glowering at her little brother.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Children!" Ginny said again, a little sharper this time. Both of them fell silent, scowling at each other. "Now, Jody, you know I don't like you scaring your brother, and if you do it again I won't be very pleased—"

She held up a hand as Jody opened her mouth to speak, fixing her daughter with an authoritative expression. She turned to Charlie, gently prising his hands off her hips and crouching down to his height.

"— but on the other hand, I don't like you calling your sister a pig Charlie. So, neither of you are in trouble _for the time being, okay? Now, I want you both to apologise to each other"_

Both children nodded reluctantly, scowling at one another. There was a pause, both children looking around and Jody shifting from foot to foot, until Ginny raised and eyebrow and said, "Well?"

"Sorry" they both muttered, not looking at each other.

"Well, I suppose that'll have to do," Ginny said, smiling and kissing his Charlie's forehead affectionately before standing up. "Now, let's go and find your father"

Holding onto Charlie's small hand, she began to walk away from the grave, putting her arm around Jody and smiling as her daughter nestled close to her, slinging her own arm around Ginny's waist. They walked this way for a few minutes in silence until the gates of the cemetery came into view, Ginny's husband leaning on the post. Gently pushing the children ahead, Ginny smiled as she watched them run the last few yards towards their father, Charlie jumping into his arms as soon as they reached him. Jody stopped next to them, talking animatedly. 

'How could I ever survive without them?' Ginny thought, watching them a second before looking back at the grave, the willow tree's branches dangling around the tombstone. She put a hand to her throat, feeling for the Udjat necklace around her neck and wrapping her fingers around its comforting weight.

"Come on mum!"

Jody's shout distracted her and she turned around, letting go of the Udjat again. She reached the gate quickly, ruffling Charlie's thick hair from where he sat in his father's arms.

"Same time next year then, Gin?" Thom said, kissing her cheek and taking her hand with his own free one.

"Yeah," she replied, intertwining their fingers like she always did, "Same time next year"

Raising his hand to her lips, Thom kissed it tenderly, before letting go and turning to Jody up ahead. A breeze swirled around Ginny as she watched them go; it played gently with her hair, like a lover's fingers…it seemed to be talking to her…what was it saying?

"_I loved you Ginny_," a voice whispered on the wind, speaking to her and her alone, "_I still love you"_

Ginny looked around, confused, as the breeze swirled her hair around and then flew upwards, fallen leaves swirling up and up and up into the heavens. "Draco?" she whispered into the empty air. Her only reply was the sound of trees rustling as the breeze continued its journey towards the bright blue sky high above.

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A/N And now we come to the end *violins start playing mournfully in the background* ; D

**Beauty Eclipsed** (Wow, thanks for your really nice review; it made me feel all warm and fuzzy to think that I'd written something like that, lol; thanks for all of your reviews) **Lady Coia** (I'm glad that this chapter made you smile, I was hoping people would like it. Yeah, Thom really does love Ginny doesn't he? Thanks) **cashew** (haha, the first line of your review made me laugh – no, it's not wrong. And as much as I love Thom, they do belong together. Now, on the whole 'confrontation' front – if the story line had developed a little differently I probably would have put that scene in, but it's just that this will always be Ginny's secret – something that she wants to keep private, just for herself, kind of like Rose in Titanic – just not as Titanic-like, lol. Otherwise I would have put it in. Anyways, thanks for reviewing; Laters) **jewels03** (hey, thanks for the compliment and the review!) **fcuking cathy (No, sorry, I can't continue it for much longer – it's finished! The story just wouldn't work if I tried to stretch it out any longer. And I don't actually know if Dumbledore can read minds or not, but in this fic, I'll just say that he can't, lol) ****locker1198 (OMG, how can you NOT love Thom?! Thom is amazing, I love him! Sorry, but he's one of my best ever original characters. And he's not perfect, he's just very sweet. Every girl should have her own Thom, lol. And no, after this, there will be no more chapters, apart from a final author's note) **swimfan** (thanks, and thank you for your review)**

Now, for the sappy stuff : P

This story has been a major part of my life for the last however many months, and it has seriously shaped my writing style and the way I write in general. Because of the chance I've had to write this story, and to put it up on the internet for others to read, my writing has improved and I've become a better writer than I ever could have been without it. I've achieved something I've wanted to do ever since I started reading fanfiction, which has got to be…what, about three or four years ago? I've actually finished a story, and to be honest, even though it hasn't been anything major or whatever, I've still got reviews, and people have told me how much they like my story. It's a nice feeling. Hopefully you guys are gonna get me over the one hundred mark with these last reviews : P. I know this all sounds corny, but who cares? I mean every single bit of it, and if I want to say it, I'll say it.

There's also something else I want to do; thank everyone who's ever reviewed this, because it means a hell of a lot to me. I'll always be grateful for the effort you put into writing a review and telling me what you thought.

So, thank you too;

Eclipse2010, _Adriana Huffle_, Scarlett 6, _mrs muffin man_, Dragix, _cashew_, BoggledMuggle313, _Crystal Snowflakes, sue, __Nalia, Okeanos, __HiddenintheAbyss, Meadow A, _forestfire_, Storm079, _tay_, Lady Jade7, __ennui2, Mel, __Crystal Megan, Bijuu, _Alyssa Rose,_ Tara-Yo, _Beauty Eclipsed_, fcuking cathy, _Lady Coia_, Aibi, __Crystal Star-23, MeEm, __Wizzabee, Vu, __Aquakinesis, Brenna, _ElveNDestiNy_, Dirrty Girrl, __swimfan and locker1198._

You guys all helped me to complete one of the things I'm most proud of in my whole life; thank you so much.

Love,

Shakespeare's Muse xx


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